Strange Behavior
by orangesky27
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, Nanadaime Hokage and also a husband, felt that there is something wrong with his wife after she came back from a mission. The burden that he felt after Naruto's death nine years ago was heavy enough, did he truly deserves these problems while another threat came to shinobi world once again? Fem!Naru. Dimensional travel.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto._

**_Warning : _**_SasuFemNaru, slight SasuSaku, Boruto's setting but no __boruto_,

_slow pace._

**_A/N_**

_This is translated fiction from my original fan fiction that has been wrote in Bahasa Indonesia. Due to my background which doesn't speak English regularly, I m sorry if there would be a lot of grammar mistakes and such. I just wanna share my work with more people. Hope you all could enjoyed it!_

**ooOoo**

Uchiha Sasuke was hard to understand. He had perfect life in the eyes of Konoha's people which made him looked like he owned all things that they dreamt of. Ranging from strength, power, to family that would always support him when he fell.

Uchiha Sasuke was definition of shinobi's highest achievement.

However, in the same times, he was also the definition of loneliness and emptiness.

That was the reason why konoha's people thought he was difficult to understand. For them, Sasuke's life was incredible. Being known as the greatest shinobi in his era, became hokage when he was only twenty one, then had a wife who truly loved him--who didn't want it?

Inuzuka Kiba was jealous of what his 'ex' friend had. With all things that he done in the past, Sasuke should never be in his current position. Giving hokage title to him was a joke. Seven years ago, when Hatake Kakashi stated that Sasuke was his successor, Konoha seemed to have just been hit by atomic bomb. That news skyrocketed to the most talked topic for a month. Everyone was shocked, especially they who knew about Uchiha's track record. Many assumptions arose. All kind of questions and rejection were inevitable.

Then, in the first year of his leadership, he decided to take off his single status by marrying a women who was nothing but Haruno Sakura--a women who he ignored greatly although all of their friends knew how much the medic-nin feeling for him. This thing caused new assumption which being associated with the death of the Uchiha's best friend.

News about Uzumaki Naruto that personally entrusted future hokage's position to his best friend had spread among the Elemental Nations, not only Konoha. It because Naruto's name had widely known. His influenced not limited only in Konoha, but spreading to the other shinobi's villages. They heard issue about how Naruto entrusted his two most precious matter to Sasuke. First was Konoha and second was Haruno Sakura, the only women who ever filled his heart when he lived. Even though it was only an issue, that news managed to stop any questions about Sasuke's appointment as Seventh Hokage.

Kiba was one of them who shut up after heard that news. As a close friend, he had great respect for Naruto. Therefore, even if there were many unanswer questions about him, he still respect Naruto, including his decision to entrusting Konoha and Sakura to Sasuke. Moreover, being lead by Sasuke since seven years ago wasn't that bad. Sasuke was very responsible and reliable. If his current position was truly Naruto's last request, Sasuke had granted it well.

Handing over the result of Village Council's meeting to Hokage's advisor, Nara Shikamaru, Kiba listened to Sasuke's short speech that always be used to close the meeting. Not long after that, Village Council's Meeting--that consists of clans head, division leaders, Jōnin Commander, ANBU Commander, and Hokage himself--was dissolved. Among the many people present, Sasuke was the first one who left the room.

Sigh of breath that seemed to be held back too long immediately heard after the door was closed from outside. Everyone in the room stretched their body or lean his back on the chair. Their face looked tired, but more relaxed than when the meeting took place.

"Sometimes I still can't act usual in front of him," said Ino, broke the silence. She propped her cheek with her hand. "Is he always intimidated like that? His mood is horrible."

"You should attend the council meeting more often, Ino," reply Kiba who sat across her. His grin made Ino rolled her eyes. "Don't put all burdens to Sai although he has long been a Deputy of Yamanaka Clan Head. His position as Anbu Commander is already difficult enough."

Ino flick her hand.

"Clan's problems never burdens him. Besides clan's representations here only to ensure the equality position so that there won't happen any unwanted dispute," said her lightly. She stared her friends back with more serious. "You all haven't answer my question yet."

"Is your question one of the baby's request in your belly?" ask Hyūga Neji uninterested.

A smile across Ino's face had answered his question. However, among five people there, no one had answered Ino's question. Kiba was busy closing his eyes due to sleepiness. Neji was occupied reading the documents related to his position as Jōnin Commander, Shikamaru was talking with Shino about meeting results that involved Academy matter, while Hinata busy thinking on how to make their friends not ignored pregnant woman who tended to be more sensitive.

"Hey! You hear me?"

Kiba opened his eyes slightly, but immediately closed it again after yawning.

Shikamaru and Shino stopped talking for a moment before continued two second later.

Hinata held her grimace.

"Uh, he _is_ like that, Ino," said Hinata, tried to answer that pregnant woman. "I thought--uhm--you've knew it. Both of you often attend meeting together while you still active in Torture and Investigation Division."

Ino rested her back in the chair. She frowned, looked disturbed on something.

"Did Sakura has come back from mission?" asked her stiffly. "I'm still can't believe Sasuke allowed her going on mission by herself."

Neji turned his head from the paper he was reading. He said, "Syndicate of illegal poison spreader would straightaway dissapear if they know that we had started to investigate them. Sending spy more than one would be so risky, Ino. Beside, the best candidate to this mission is Sakura. She is the only person who truly understand about poison."

"I hope she's okay."

After said that, Ino left the room immediately, followed by all of them. While her feet walked away from Hokage Tower, Ino couldn't distracted her thought from Sakura's conditions. Her first worry seemed began to surface. It's not only about mission. Not at all. She had worried on Sakura since years ago. Since Naruto's death. Since Sakura took off her single status and married Sasuke.

For everyone else, Sakura would seemed happy. However, for Ino, Sakura was far from happy. Ino didn't trust Sasuke. Not at all. Her feelings to him had disappeared years ago, since she decided that Sasuke didn't have any right to get her sincerity. She had managed to forget about her childish crush and faced reality. She found someone who truly care for her and until now she was grateful for her past decision.

However, being happy while she saw sorrow glint on her best friend's emerald eyes was wrong. Ino always uneasy everytime she heard Sakura statements which said she was fine while in fact she wasn't. Blaming Sasuke would made her looked selfish. Ino knew she couldn't blamed Sasuke over Sakura's condition. Yet, said that Sasuke didn't make things worse also wrong.

Sasuke might be marrying Sakure due to Naruto's request. But it souldn't be a reason why he didn't try to accept Sakura. Sai's statement about how he almost always saw fake smiles on Sakura enough to confirm Ino suspicions. Sakura admitted that she was fine. Yet, Ino understand that medic-nin than herself.

It was been six years Ino kept her mouth shut. She almost buried her suspicions over that marriage when Sakura got pregnant and gave birth a baby girl. The presence of child in marriage seemed expressing family's normality. Relieved gaze, thankful, and touched on Sakura's eyes had soothed Ino. That time, she also managed to catch blink of emotion on Uchiha's onyx eyes when he saw his and Sakura's daughter. Uchiha Sasuke felt thankful to the women who was his wife. Ino no more doubted her best friend's happiness.

However, that condition occurred only about two years before tired glint came back into Sakura's eyes. When Ino saw it, she felt bitter. Unified two broken people wasn't a good idea. Sakura and Sasuke weren't same anymore after Naruto's death. Sakura might be able to get over her best friend's death, but it seemed different for Sasuke.

As Yamanaka, Ino able to saw the emptiness on Hokage's eyes. Any kind of rays that ever live again due to whatever Naruto effort had died along with the death of his best friend. Sasuke who had fell into the darkness couldn't stood up again when the most bitter reality strucke him. When Ino heard Sasuke marriage news with Sakura, Ino had had doubted that her best friend able to filled that empty mind. Things that she saw this past six years had confirmed her doubt.

Both of them suffered by Uzumaki Naruto's death.

How could people didn't saw it and assumed the Hokage's life and his wife were incredible?

Was she the only one who could saw it all?

Did noticing sorrow that reflected on people eyese was a special skill of Yamanaka?

Ino didn't know anymore, but she was hurted saw Sakura in her current position. Because being trapped in a hollow marriage where the husband didn't love his wife at all was unwanted nightmare for all kind of women.

**oOo**

Uchiha Sasuke knew that Yamanaka Ino was someone with high analytical skill. Her power to controlling people made her able to read people gestures and made it possible to read what people think. Yamanaka Ino was a person who should be wary of, yet it made her got into an important position in Torture and Investigation Division. Talking about wary, Sasuke never felt that he should wary on Ino. The way he felt wasn't her problem. Things that happened in his marriage weren't Ino's problem.

During Village Council Meeting hours ago, he awared about Yamanaka's calculated gaze. He knew what her thought. He knew Ino's worry. Yet, Sasuke didn't have any intention to respon.

Things that happened to him and Sakura were both of their compromised. Why should other people worried?

The voice inside his head said that he had fooled himself. Still, he didn't care. He _can't_ care. Not after his life that only filled by few people got taken away by force. Not after his most precious bond disappeared, even before he got the answer from someone who had left him nine years ago. Left him with unfunny joke. Because, in his last Uzumaki Naruto still managed to prank his friend.

"_You will replace me, _Teme. _I will grant your request to become hokage when we we fought in Valley of The End. But, please, let the other kages live."_

That was he said.

And he gave that message by a letter.

A freaking damn letter.

That Idiot didn't even said it to Sasuke by himself.

Hearing the amount of noisy voice dominated by children, Sasuke opened his eyes and loosen his hand fold in front of his chest. He nodded his head to Iruka when they stared for a moment. That thirty seven years old man smiled to the Hokage when the leader of Konoha approached him who was standing beside Academy's gate.

Wave consists of children filled Academy's yard. They were running and laughing happily, an usual scene that could be seen in the afternoon of Ninja Academy. Some parents who were picking up their children also gave a polite nod when found that the Hokage was standing not far from them. They showed their respect. Even some of them were bowing.

Different from adult people, children who grew up with heroic stories of heros frankly showed their admiration towards the Hokage. Their eyes glinting with amazed and wonder. Even some of them tried to shake hands with him.

Met the Hokage who rarely went into public unless there were serious problems was actually rare.

"Hokage-sama! You haven't been seen lately! Even you don't have time to drop by Teuchi-jiji's shop!" said brown haired boy excitedly. His black eyes glinted with enthusiasm.

Extending his hand to the child's shoulder stiffly, Sasuke was about to answer it, but was preceded by a brown-haired woman who was the mother of the child.

A smile on the mother's face voiced the word sorry. She immediately pulled his son to stand more politely before nodding his head to Sasuke to express her apologies for his son's impolite behavior. Sasuke then considered the apology. He really wasn't bothered by such a reaction. What made him stiff was that he was not used to responding to the situation.

"Every now and then come to our shop, Hokage-sama," said the woman. He smiled softly. "My father often asks you."

"Tell Teuchi-san that the shop is too crowded to be my taste," Sasuke said honestly.

Ayame responded as a joke. She laughed lowly and left from there after making a few comments about Sasuke who still had to visit at any time.

As soon as the daughter of the owner of the Ichiraku shop left, Sasuke turned to Iruka who was busy dealing with bad boys. They are some of the children who do not care about the presence of the Hokage and consider it more important to make the principal explode angrily. Seeing their behavior always reminded Sasuke of Naruto. A little stung in his chest made him blink. Sasuke scanned his sight to see the owner of the voice calling him.

"Papa!" said the voice owner.

A bespectacled girl with short black hair seemed to be waving at him. She ran towards Sasuke enthusiastically, making the red skirt she wore swaying by the wind. When she approached, she immediately hugged Sasuke's waist and said, "You're coming!"

A faint smile was printed on Sasuke's lips. Bending down, Sasuke reached out and instantly grabbed the girl.

"I already promised."

Uchiha Sarada smiled. She tightened her grip to her father, as if afraid that this figure would suddenly disappeared. Without saying anything else, Sasuke led Sarada out of the Academy's yard to return to their home. Not too far from the Academy, they ran into Iruka who still handled three bad boys who had just scribbled the wall. The three children were being scolded, but none of them seemed to be afraid or sorry.

Sarada who saw them commenting on something about stupid kids who lacked work. Sasuke could only be quiet when he heard it. Knowing that his daughter had the same view as himself to Naruto felt a little painful. Living a day without thinking of that blond figure seemed impossible for Sasuke. Even though it's been nine years since that person was gone.

Entering the house, Sasuke told Sarada to clean herself before they had dinner. Leaving the Hokage Tower as early as this is indeed quite rare for him--or even never. Sasuke always spends his time behind a pile of documents he must sign. If he wasn't there, he would have been standing in front of the cemetery or in front of the Memorial Stone--drifting in his own mind. Several times, he would not went home because of political visits to other villages which could took more than a week. Whatever his activities, Sasuke would end up leaving home and being alone.

Old habits would be difficult to change. Sasuke summed it up bitterly. Naruto's plan to tie him to the village by making him the Hokage was indeed very brilliant. In this way, he couldn't run anywhere because his purpose is here, in the village. Even so, far inside his mind, Sasuke was still trying as hard as possible to distance himself from Konoha. One of them is by take advantages of various opportunities for political visits that made him possible to leave without many questions.

Warming miso and onigiri soup into the microwave, Sasuke turned his head when he heard his daughter's footsteps. The enthusiastic expression on her face had evaporated somewhere and was now replaced by a frown that was very similar to Sasuke when he was a child. The pink cardigan she was wearing had now been replaced by a pastel-colored knit sweater even though she was still wearing the same red skirt.

"Mama still not home yet?" she asked in a disappointed voice.

Without any expression, Sasuke replied, "She will be home soon."

Staring at his father with a pang, Sarada pouted her lips. "I've heard it dozens of times since a week ago."

"Her job as kunoichi made her have to go on a mission."

"But she's been gone for more than two weeks! Aren't you worried about her?" She exclaimed in a vibrating tone. Clear liquid appears to collect in the corner of her eyes. Sasuke held back the swearing in his head. He was never an expert in problems like this.

Never and maybe never.

Opening the microwave that had finished warming the food, Sasuke looked away from Sarada. Still in an expressionless voice, he replied, "Your mother is not a weak person. She is able to protect herself."

"Really? If so, why do I often see Mama crying?" asked the girl. The clear liquid that gathered in the corner of her eyes had now flowed down her cheeks. She continued her words while holding back the sobbing. "What happened to her? I don't want to see Mama sad. Out there, no one will accompany her. Mama is alone. I don't want her to be alone. Why don't you come with her?"

As if surprised by Sarada's words, Sasuke blinked. He felt his mouth stiff just to express the sentence that had been strung on his head.

Why was talking felt so difficult?

Shouldn't he know that Sakura will react like that?

Didn't he predict it already?

Sarada's sobs made Sasuke's daydream split. He put the bowl and plate he had taken from the microwave, before--stiffly--grabbing Sarada into his arms, calming her down with what he could because he was never an expert in words.

People tend to misinterpret what he said. So far, only a handful of people who have been able to understand it. Two of the four people were already gone.

Indeed, this thought was very _helpful_ in times like this.

When Sarada's sobs had subsided, Sasuke let go of his arms. He rubbed the cheek of his little girl who had been wet with tears and lowered his arm to hold her small shoulder.

"Hokage can't just leave the village, Sarada. Besides that, your mother, she will be fine."

"Is that so?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Will she come back soon and cook for us?"

Sasuke nodded again.

"Will you take your time to go to the Victory's Anniversary Festival next month with us?"

Sasuke fell silent for a moment. When Sarada showed her disappointed expression again, Sasuke immediately said, "I'll try."

Her smile appeared. She wiped the rest of her tears with the sweater sleeve she was using before reaching out to Sasuke.

"I'll help you prepare dinner."

With that, Sasuke nodded again. Sarada is a glimmer of light capable of illuminating the darkness that almost swallows him every time he remembered the past he had faced. His desire to live may no longer be as big as before. The purpose of his life feels abstract. Sasuke always feels lost.

The only thing that made him continue his life was only because of Itachi and Naruto's request. If not, he would rather followed them than lived in this lie. Sarada's presence was another reason that made him lived. Although not fully giving light, her innocence was still able to touch Sasuke's conscience which had been closed for years.

Uchiha Sasuke thanked Haruno Sakura for giving him a new hope. He did not want to hurt his wife at all. However, his heart that had died since many years ago also cannot fully cured after what happened to him. No matter how much gratitude Sasuke wanted to reveal, he couldn't paid Sakura back by what she wanted the most.

**oOo**

In the middle of the night, a pink haired woman was trying to stabilize her heavy breath. She put her back on the trunk of a large tree. With her eyes closed, she let herself fell as she realized the absence of the figure who had been chasing her.

The moonlight from above pulled Sakura's mind from danger which was behind her at that time. Moonlight always reminded her of the funeral. Moonlight always reminds her the conditions in her current state. The moonlight always reminds her of home which was Team Seven, about the tragedy and bad luck that always befall them, about the end that couldn't be called happy.

Because, the marriage she lived would never be in the category of happiness. Not with Sasuke who was far away and difficult to be held even though he was so close.

How the Uchiha thought about their marriage was almost always known by Haruno Sakura. Agreeing on a wedding plan when both were equally broken wasn't a wise choice. However, being with Sasuke had been her dream for a long time. The childlike dream had never disappeared even though she had been hit by various facts that encourage her to forget that ridiculous dream. Her feelings for Sasuke were difficult to explain with mere sentences. She really wanted to be a part of that man. She really wanted to and could not just erased her wishes. Even when she knew that she could not get a good respon from that man.

The decision she made was ignorance caused by selfishness. Her confidence was so high when she thought that Sasuke might open up by the time. Living together for almost seven years gave a very clear answer to Sakura.

She could never replace Naruto. Would never.

Even when Sasuke didn't realize that he had given what Sakura really wanted to their blond friend instead of her. Sasuke had buried his special feelings nine years ago, along with Uzumaki Naruto's funeral. Sasuke may be unawared, because in his eyes Naruto was only his closest friend and also a brother. However, Sakura knew that the reality wasn't like that. She found out when she took care of the Uzumaki's corpse.

Naruto's predicate as the most unpredictable ninja was actually attached to the end of his life. Some people might already know this fact. However, for Sakura who didn't pay much attention to Naruto, the fact that she knew on the day of her friend's death was very shocking.

When taking care of Naruto's lifeless body, Sakura finally found out her best friend's real identity as a women. Not a men.

But women, with beautiful golden hair that reached her waist. Female, with bright brown skin and a birthmark like whiskers on both of her cheeks. A woman, with a body that would made the entire kunoichi snorted because of jealously if the body didn't lie down--helpless without a life.

Sakura remembered Tsunade's dry laughter when she saw Naruto's Henge seal disappearing several hours after her death. Tsunade laughed dryly as he babbling about she was the one who won the bet with Shizune, but the tears flowing down her cheeks sounded as if she was unhappy about the victory if the requirements to win a bet involving Naruto who lay dead without life.

On the night of the funeral, Sakura wondered why Naruto hid her identity. She didn't know until today. However, the reason wasn't important. Because, in the end Sakura were still defeated. She was defeated by someone who did not even being calculated as rival.

Even though Sasuke still didn't know Naruto's true identity, Sakura still believed that the reason Sasuke felt so far was because deep inside he had more feelings to the Uzumaki. Sasuke's subconscious might felt it. Naruto's Henge cover which made her looked like a man was a wall that kept their bond to be not more than a close friends.

Reaching Sasuke is no longer possible. Sakura knew. Even with Sarada's presence.

Sarada ...

Biting her lower lip, Sakura cursed her selfish and careless self again. Age that had turned into twenty-seven seemed still not quell the selfishness that had arisen in her heart. She carried out a mission not only because of the obligation as a kunoichi. She going on mission to run away from Konoha and her messy personal life.

Sakura wanted to be alone for a moment.

She wad that selfish.

Yes.

But, who coulf stand a cold home?

Ino already warned her. Her friend knew that Sakura's marriage with Sasuke wasn't fine. Yet, if it's not with Sasuke, Sakura would never be with another men. She believef it. Even for now.

If only Naruto were still alive ...

Sakura shook her head. She couldn't wish any further if she didn't want to suffer anymore.

Feeling the movement back there, Sakura gritted her teeth. Her left hand tightly grasped her right arm which was now pouring blood nonstop. The number of poison maniacs was too much to handle alone. Her disguises were revealed when she wrongly brought the poison material ordered to her They seemed to have suspected her and gave the order to confirm their suspicion.

That's why Sakura was on escape right now. She was pierced by a syringe containing deadly poison in five parts of her body. Three of them were on the right arm while the rest were in each of the thighs. The antidote she brought from Konoha didn't seem to respond because it turned out that the poison that the enemy had had been renewed and changed to become stronger. As a result, Sakura has no other choice but to hurt herself so that the poison didn't spread throughout the body.

Unfortunately, effect of those poison was so fast. The purplish liquid immediately affected her only by ten seconds when she tried to escape from those people. When Sakura stabing some points exposed to poison with kunai, she felt nothing. Her condition did not improve but only getting worse. Her breath was tight and she lost a lot of blood. Het efforts to close the wound with medical ninjutsu were also in vain because the chakra flow was disrupted due to the effects of poison. She couldn't handle the complexity of medical ninjutsu with her current condition.

Her situation was really bad now.

Trying to stand with the remaining energy she had, Sakura swore to her miscalculations. Not carrying out a mission after long time seems to dull her instincts. She was so careless. How could she being known student of a Sannin? Byakugō on her forehead couldn't even be activated because of her chakra flow was disturbed. The poison from those people was so dangerous. Sakura must complete this mission and told Konoha all the data she has gotten from there immediately. Even if her life couldn't be helped, at least Konoha still got informations ...

But what about Sarada?

Her heavy breath faltered when she forced her body to walk. Her efforts now looked like a form of deep despair. As a medical ninja, Sakura knew that she would not last long. Not with all the toxic fluids that have been mixed with her bloodstream. Sakura realized that she had reached the limit, forcing herself wouldn't get anything. She couldn't forming chakra to summon Katsuya, she really ran out of ideas.

Why she was so weak? Was this the end of her life?

In the midst of despair, ten people wearing white lab clothing suddenly surrounded her. Two of them were women while eight were male. They all put on maniac expressions with knives and surgical scissors in each hand.

One of the women with tall black hair laughed madly when she saw Sakura's helpless condition. She pointed at Sakura with five scalpels held in her right hand.

"Where you wanna go, Bitch?" She squeaked while grinning widely. She stepped close to Sakura slowly, making Konoha kunoichi move backwards with reflex. However, another person who was standing behind her immediately grabbed her shoulders and kept her from moving.

Heavy breath of two men behind her resist the scream in her throat. Her already unstable breath became increasingly insulated when one of them licked her cheek and groaned, enjoying the flow of blood from Sakura's skin.

Sakura tried to run away from their graps, but her efforts were in vain.

The woman with a high bun laughed.

"Shout like a little mouse, Bitch!" She cried maniacally. She leaned over to Sakura, pulled her hair back, and scratched the scalpel on the pink-haired woman's cheek very slowly. Her breath tickled Sakura's ear as she whispered other sentences to mock.

Pain suddenly felt throughout her body. Sakura held back a groan.

"Yes! Yes! Like that!" said the woman once again. Her pale face displayed a grin that only a psychopath could display. She forms an x mark on Sakura's forehead, right where the Byakugō seal take a place. Unbearable pain strucke Sakura's entire body, making her twitch.

The woman laughed crazily.

The man behind him chuckled. He stepped closer to her.

"How many parts do you want to cut, Madam?"

"Eighty-one," squeaked the woman. Her eyes shone with joy. "I like multiples of three!"

"Roger."

At the same time, Sakura felt her body being held hard and she was dropped to the ground. With her hands locked on her back, Sakura gritted her teeth when she felt her legs being pulled to each of the opposite side by two people behind her. A second later, her hand was released and replaced by two other people who grabbed her wrist and pressed it onto the ground, making her unable to move. When she hadn't had time to process what happened, someone she assumed was a mad woman suddenly landed on her back. She heard the sound of torn cloth and felt a deep pain in her back. The pain wasn't just once, but so many times so that she couldn't count it.

Sakura screamed. Loud.

She screamed every time she felt an incision with an unexplained feeling.

She screamed when the woman laughed.

She screamed when her nose began to feel a familiar, rancid aroma.

She screamed when her ankle was being cracked intentionally.

She screamed when the same cracking sound was heard from other parts of her body.

Sakura screamed until her voice hoarse.

She still shouted a groan of pain when a burst of energy suddenly penetrated her body--stimulating Byakugō which had been tarnished by x marks and blood before another scream was heard again.

This time, this scream wasn't from her, but from those people. Sakura felt her vision blur. She felt her body move reflexively to attack those people. The jolt of energy was still flowing, making her able to ignore dozens of incision wounds that were still bleeding. Without significant awareness, Sakura faced ten people. Her breath was heavy. Her head felt like floating. She smelled a thick rancid aroma. She felt her body stick with blood. She heard a cracked bone that made anyone would cringe in pain.

However, despite being able to feel, Sakura was not sure what had happened. Everything seems blurred.

That night, at the base of the hill, a woodcutter saw a flash of orange and pink light mixed like a fireworks. There, he wondered if the Victory's Anniversary Festival had moved place. Such thoughts really surprised him the next day, he found the bodies of ten people dressed in white had been lying dead. All of them died with wounds in the stomach that formed a pattern of a whirlpool.

**_TBC_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer : **I do not own Naruto._

**_A/N :_**

_t__hank you for any reviews and to you who are following this story! i'll try my best to translate it and for other question... no, I won't change any plot here because this is only translated version. there would be a change on some sentences but it only an adjustment that won't change the plot. thanks for your suggestion, tho. you can follow the original version if want to catch up with the latest update, I have some twist __there. thanks._

**ooOoo**

Case regarding syndicate of illegal posion spreader had been problem for five shinobi villages since half a year ago. Their movements were very careful and they known to have enough informants. Based on data obtained by Sunakagure, the syndicate was dominated by medical ninjas from small villages who didn't have funds to develop their research. Not to mention the development of modern ninja equipment that rivals funding in the field of health research. They were underestimated and tend to have a hard life.

Reasons why they acted brutally was still a question. So far, no one knows the truth. Therefore when a kunoichi assigned to the mission returned with hobbling and also improper clothes, two gate guards quickly approached and helped her.

Haruno Sakura lost her consciousness right after she handed over a scroll to one of the gate guard. They who saw her condition seemed surprised. Sakura was filthy with body full of blood stains and dirt over her pink hair. Her jōnin uniform was torn here and there, and as if everything wasn't severe enough, dried blood adorned almost her entire face. Things that witnessed by two shinobi was terrible. There was no shinobi that would last long with that much blood loss. Whoever it was, whether it was the head of the Medical Division who was also hokage's wife.

However, in an emergency like this, they really didn't have any time to wonder and be surprised. One of the two men rushed to take Sakura to the hospital while the other directly reported to hokage with a scroll in his grasp. Bringing bad news to hokage was unpleasant. They did respect the Seventh Hokage, but the intimidating aura that often surrounded him made them prefer to keep their distance as far as possible.

Their fear was so irrational if they thought more about it, because as far as Uchiha Sasuke ruled, there had never been victim of his anger. Yet, those who have never came face to face with Hokage would claim their irrational fear was stupid. However, they didn't know if kept silent was more terrible than being furious.

Feeling his negative thoughts were getting worse, the young chūnin shook his head and knocked the hokage's office's door. He reported and handed over the scroll's mission carried by Sakura. Sasuke read it briefly before nodding. He thanked the chūnin and without speaking ordered Shikamaru to stay in the office while he went to the hospital.

With his usual stoic face, Sasuke asked Sakura's room to a hospital staff member who was an ordinary citizen. Several pairs of eyes seemed to follow him as he nodded his head and headed towards the patient's room on the second floor.

When he arrived there, the door was closed. Sasuke stared blankly at the white painted door before deciding to sit on a long bench that exist in each hallway of the hospital room. He waited there for a few moments with various thoughts raging on his head, the voice of long-browned woman wearing a hospital nurse's clothes made him turn.

"Sorry for making you wait, Hokage-sama. You may see Sakura-san now."

Standing up, Sasuke asked, "How about her conditions?"

"She seems badly injured by blood all over her body. But we didn't find any injury. So far, she's fine and stable, only lost a lot of chakra."

Sasuke's stiff nod signaled the nurse to leave quickly. She left Sasuke who was still standing in the doorway, hesitated for a moment before stepping into the white room.

Once he landed his feet there, he found a pink-haired woman who was fast asleep. Her face looked pale even though at the same time she was on ease. The jōnin clothes worn by Sakura when leaving for the mission have now been replaced with white hospital pajamas. A light blue blanket covered part of her body, Sasuke watched Sakura for a few moments before pulling a chair and sitting right next to her bed.

Sarada's words yesterday afternoon still ringing in his ears. Sasuke looked down and shuffled his hair slowly. He almost spoils everything and almost regrets every decision he made.

In the past, he was trapped by revenge then regretted his actions once Itachi had died. Now, he faced with the same thing. Sasuke regretted to accept Sakura's offer and unconsciously used her when he himself couldn't repay her kindness. Now, he must bear his foolishness by accepting the fact that Sakura did suffer.

Their marriage was a lie and he almost lost his closest person before he could fix everything.

Yet, could Sasuke fixed it? Hadn't he been trying to open up all this time? He had tried ... right?

Or was their physical relationship just Sasuke's biological demand who was in his prime? Was every night he spent with Sakura only an escape from all burdens on his mind? Was Sasuke only using Sakura? Actually, what his feeling for her?

Looking up, Sasuke stared at Sakura leisurely, trying to find a warm feeling that could cover him every time he saw Sarada's smile or when he joked with Naruto.

He didn't find it.

All he felt was a lump of guilt and also the necessity to protect her, to atone his mistakes.

He felt empty, no longer knew the person who lived in his body. Why was he being so jerk?

After full hour of waiting, Sasuke finally saw signs of her consciousness. He saw how Sakura's hand moved and how her eyes flickered until it finally fully opened.

Silence surrounded them when Sakura blinked several times and stared blankly at the ceiling of the hospital room. She was silent for a long time, as if she was being carried away by her own thoughts. This unusual hesitation seemed odd. Sakura was quiet for too long.

Hesitantly, Sasuke tried to grab Sakura's hand and squeezed it slowly, a gesture Sakura always tried to calm Sasuke. This way, Sasuke hoped he could do the same to her. Sakura always welcomes all physical contact that occurs between them. She always took the initiative when Sasuke withdrew and reluctant to do so. Without Sakura's efforts, their marriage wouldn't produce anything. Forget about Sarada.

So, when Sakura turned quickly and pulled her hand from Sasuke's grasp as if she had just been electrocuted, Sasuke couldn't hold his frown. He was quite surprised by her reaction. However, a few seconds later he had put up that stoic face again.

His voice sounded normal when he asked, "How's your feeling?" as if it did not happen.

Blinking several times, Sasuke buried the question in his head when he saw surprised look in a pair of emerald eyes. Sakura paused for a moment, she stared at Sasuke for quite a long time before opened her mouth to speak. However, before her voice could be heard, she had coughed first.

Sasuke quickly grabbed mineral water on the bedside and gave it to Sakura. The glass was snatched right away and was spent only in three gulps. That action made her cough again.

Taking out a glass from Sakura, Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed and massaged her nape softly. His voice sounded tired when he said, "You have to be more careful."

To Sasuke's surprise, Sakura jerked his arm away. Now she watched her husband with furrowed brows.

"I ... I'm fine."

Sasuke put the glass back on the bedside. He moved back into the chair he had taken when he heard the hoarse question from Sakura's mouth.

"Uhm, Sasuke, is this hospital?"

_Sasuke?_

Blinking slowly, he nodded, dismissing a big question in his head after he heard Sakura called his name _directly_ instead of her usual endearment.

"What happened to your mission?" Sasuke tried to divert his mind.

Sakura was silent again for a moment. Her eyes clouded and Sasuke saw her squeezing the blanket on her lap. Her fist was so tight that her knuckles turned white.

Feeling something wrong, Sasuke immediately stated, "You don't need to explain now."

As if remembering Sasuke's existence, Sakura looked up at him. Her cloudy eyes began to clear. When blinking, the emotions that Sasuke interpreted as anger had evaporated somewhere. Sakura's eyes were back to normal. However, it still looks different. Sasuke didn't know how he could conclude that. But, whatever type of that gaze, Sakura still looked different.

"They're abnormal," she respond shortly and leaned on the headboard before continued, "Something wrong with them. I don't know how to call it. But they ... they're like people who've been brainwashed, reminds me of Sai when he was in Root. All of their behavior was set by their boss requests. "

"Is it because of drug?"

Sakura shrugged and hugged the pillow she had used to sleep.

"Maybe? I think it's only a chemical concoction that can make people crazy. Most researchers always do that, don't they?" commented her lightly before sighed and asked, "Can I go? 'Dis whole medicines' scent hurting my head."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow again. He watched Sakura--very surprised.

"You work in hospital."

Sakura blinked again, but shortly replied, "Is a medic-nin banned from hating these medicines scents? I stand all of this because of my pure heart that wants to help people."

Sasuke's eyes twitched.

_Since when did Sakura like to joke and try to respond to all my words?_

"Ne, Sasuke, are ya still here? Ya heard me?" She asked, waving her hand in front of his face.

Sasuke was surprised again. He looked at Sakura strangely before his face turned worried. Without many words, he put the back of his hand on the pink-haired woman's forehead, feeling her normal temperature. His ears caught a small protest from her mouth, but he completely ignored her. Instead of replying to her protest, Sasuke activates his Sharingan, examined his wife for a moment before deactivating it and asked, "What did they do to you?"

Sakura who seemed annoyed by Sasuke's behavior was inching away immediately. Her forehead shrank, she stared at Sasuke curiously.

"My disguise was discovered. They chased me and we fought. I ran away and fainted when arrived right at the gate. Why? I've said I'm fine."

Sasuke stared at Sakura for a moment, getting rid of the strange feeling that suddenly gnawed him. He moved away from Sakura and dryly exclaimed, "You're ... babbling more than usual."

Blinking, Sakura stared at Sasuke hesitantly. "Ah, yeah. Looks weird, huh? My head kinda dizzy from their poison. Seems that the medicine makes me rambling like this."

Sasuke keeps information about Sakura who infected by poison from that syndicate. He chose to shut up and nod his head. Glanced towards the clock that showed five o'clock in the afternoon, Sasuke stood up and intended to return to the hokage's office. He told Sakura that she can't leave the hospital yet. His answer got a frown from the woman. At the same time, Sasuke also stated that Sakura didn't need to worry about Sarada because Kaoru-san--a middle-aged woman who used to help the Uchiha family--had taken care their daughter's needs.

When the patient door room was closed, Sakura lay down right away and covered her face with a pillow. A long sigh came out of her mouth before she decided to sleep with clouded eyes, as if there was a heavy burden she had to bear.

**oOo**

Uchiha Sarada was only six years old and had just started her first year at Ninja Academy. Nonetheless, she known to be quite intelligent compared to the other children in her class--minus Nara Shikadai, but Shikadai seemed indolent to show his potential. Because of her keen brain, Sarada knew that her father and mother looked different from other parents in general. She had felt this when she was four years old. Precisely when she was getting good at communicating and began exchanging stories with her friends.

As a four-year-old child who hadn't been able to understand adults' world, they often complain about their parents behavior. Complaints that she often heard came from Shikadai--of course. Shikadai often complained about okāsan who would be angry if he and his father didn't want to get up early for breakfast. According to Shikadai, her mother was terrifying when angry, even his father afraid of her. This first complaint instilled question in Sarada's head.

Why could Shikadai's dad afraid of his wife? Shouldn't he be stronger?

Sarada's dad always tells that a father should protecting his family.

So, if father was weak, how did he protect his family?

Another complaint he heard from Hyūga Miyo--Heiress of the Hyūga clan. She said her dad could be deafening sometime because he often joking around with her mom. Hyūga Hinata who was easy to be entertained by small things certainly laughed while listening to her husband--Inuzuka Kiba--silly stories. Miyo who frequently hang around Tama-nīsan couldn't help but get influenced by Neji's serious child attitude. She often sulked at her dad because her parents always slept late at night in front of the television while chatting.

Sarada just watched Miyo-chan in confusion when she heard it, because in her family, she had never felt something like that. Sarada's dad always comes home late at night, while mom accompanied Sarada to her room. Another time, dad didn't even came home because he had to do political visit in another village. Then, when both of her parents weren't busy, dad would rather take her to public library to learn what ninjas are and so on. They could came home late and found mom had overslept on the couch.

Saw her parents arguing?

Never.

Saw them joking?

Uhm .. Sarada might missed that moments unless they have never done it at all.

The latest complaint Sarada heard was a few days ago before they started entering the Academy. She heard it from Inojin. He didn't tell her directly, Sarada heard it from the boys chatter when they were playing mobile games together. That time, the boys were occupied playing so they didn't respond too much to the Yamanaka. Yet, when the blond-haired boy discussed something about how to make a sister, Shikadai choked on his drink and looked at his friend in horror.

If Sarada's memory was correct, Shikadai asked something like, "Why do you ask?"

Inojin shrugged indifferently and stated he overheard his parents' conversations when they were both embracing each other in the living room. Shikadai stared blankly at his friend while asking, "Are you sure that's all you see?"

That time, Inojin frowned and said he was uncertain because he often saw his parents embraced or even kissed.

Sarada had blinked when she heard it.She turned to Chocho who was giggling while eating her favorite snack. Chocho then looked up at the sky with sparkling eyes and hoped her husband would in the future would be as romantic as Inojin's daf.

That occurrence raised another question for Sarada.

Why did Chocho want to have romantic ... husband?

Besides, what the meaning of that word? Sarada didn't know. She confused and decided to ask Chocho. When she got answer, it only became another question. Chocho said the gestures from Inojin's parents were a form of affection. Romanticism also a form of affection.

So, why had Sarada never witnessed it?

She frequently saw her parents talking and sometimes mom seemed to hold daddy's hand. So why she only saw that? Why her parents different? Didn't they love each other?

Filled with various questions, Sarada intended to ask her mom later because her dad seemed to have overtime work again at the Hokage's office.

So, that morning when Kaoru-san drove her to hospital, she embraced her mom tightly, making her surprised and chuckled. Before her mom could ask questions about her first day at the Academy, she had voiced questions on her head first.

"Do Mom and Dad love each other?"

Mom who looked surprised and confused at the same time made Sarada repeat her question. "Chocho told me, each parent would love each other. What about you?"

Mom laughed suddenly. Laughter which Sarada didn't predict at all because her mom rarely laughed. She preferred to smiles. A sweet smile that sometimes made Sarada want to cry because there was something wrong. Her mom's hand that scrambled Sarada's hair softly made Sarada frown. However, her expression only made her laugh again.

"Mom, what's funny?!" Sarada asked while sulking.

Her mom still laughed. She wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes because she was too amused to see her daughter.

"_Kami_, you're almost identic as Sasuke," her mom said after she finished her laugh. Sarada furrowed her brows when her mom compared her to her dad. "Your sulky expression, Sarada-chan. Oh, little one, you're so cute!"

Sarada loosened her mom hug while sulking. Her hands folded in front of her chest.

"Mom, I'v told you, don't call me _chan_! I'm not child anymore."

"Eh, really? Little Sarada has grown up?" Her mom asked in a playful tone.

"I've entered the Academy," shout Sarada. She looked at her mother with fused eyebrows. "Mom hasn't answered my question."

Her mom fell silent. Then, she smiled. The same sweet smile, but it didn't make Sarada sad. Her mom's eyes didn't show sadness! She looks delighted.

"Of course we love each other. Why did you ask, hm?" Her mom asked in a confused tone.

"I've never seen you hugging," muttered Sarada.

Her mother blinked.

Sarada continue, "or kissing. No. Never."

Her mother blinked again. Now her eyes widened slightly. She turned her head towards the window and door, then put her hand on Sarada's shoulders.

"Who told you about kissing? You didn't--you haven't done it ... right?"

Sarada's face turned red. She shifted her mom's hands from her shoulder.

"Television! There's a lot there," she said as fast as lightning. "Why did you even ask me back? I ... of course not! Never!"

Her mom sigh of relief confused Sarada.

"I'll take care this television _thingy_ later," muttered her mother. She continued. "Whatever happens, don't do it before you're at least seventeen. Don't. Even when you've become genin, understand? Being a woman is troublesome. You have to take care of yourself."

Staring at her mom in confusion, Sarada preferred to nod.

"So you and dad love each other even though you're never hugged and kissed?"

If Sarada's vision correct, she certain that the corner of her mom's eyes seemed to twitch a little.

"Yeah, of course," replied her mother. She stroked Sarada's hair. "After all, love can be expressed through many things, Sarada."

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hm."

Sarada smiled. Her mom also smiled. However, that smile revealed sadness. Smile that made Sarada want to cry. Why her mom smiling like that again? Where is the smile that makes her chest felt warm?

"Don't you've to go to Academy?" Her mom asked. She tilted her head. "Want me to take you?"

Sarada nodded enthusiastically. She jumped from the bed she was sitting on and quickly grabbed her mom's hand. Her mom who was ready to leave the hospital stood up immediately. She tightened her grip on Sarada, closed her eyes briefly, and opened it again.

When her emerald eyes stared into Sarada's eyes, she saw mischievous gleam that she had never seen in her eyes. This eyes reminded her of Konohamaru-sensei whom yesterday introduced himself as their taijutsu teacher and made those who just entered the Academy flounder after did all of those body resistance training.

"Wanna travel in a ninja style, Sarada?" She asked cheerfully.

Sarada blinked.

"Huh, what do you mean, Mom?"

Her mom smiles. A smile that reminded her of Konohamaru-sensei once more.

"So, you don't know yet? All right, I have predicted it, knowing who your parents are," she said, pulling Sarada's arm and pressing her palm against the arm of the Young Uchiha. Sarada saw pattern of a foreign seal in her hand. When she saw her mom curiously, her mom explained, "This seal is an imitation of Nara's special jutsu. By using this you'll follow my movements, see?"

Her mom stepped in and Sarada went along.

Sarada blinked. Her mom smiled and her smile looked beautiful.

"This technique would facilitate taijutsu teaching at Academy for beginners like you. But, anyways, you don't need to know it now. What I wanna teach is to move like a ninja. Prepare yourself."

With that smile, Sarada felt her legs get pulled out when Mom jumped through the window. Sarada widened her eyes, felt a new adrenaline that she had never felt when standing right above the roof with a fairly sharp slope. The morning breeze felt refreshing. Sarada turned to her mom, saw her nostalgically watching the village scene, somehow it looked gloomy. When they stared, her mom smiled. A contagious smile that made her smiling. After that, she only heard the whirring wind and her own chortle as they rushed to the Academy by jumping from one roof to another.

Sarada really felt like she had become a ninja.

She always wanted to do it but her mom forbade it. Now, when her mom doing it happily, she was delighted.

Her mom seemed different. Yet, she didn't mind it at all because she would always love her mother. ]

**_TBC_**


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto_

**ooOoo**

Reading the mission reviews for most time on that day, Sasuke stamped the paper and piled it on a stack of papers containing other mission reports.Spending a full day in the office had become routine because the current ninja world wasn't same anymore as before.

Threat from _nukenin_ had diminished and village had been secured place.Unnecessary bloodshed no longer occurs and the demand for shinobi services now spread to other fields, not only about guarding or murdering.If in the past they often given the mission to bring someone's head, then in this new era they begin to help people carry out construction materials or things that ninja on Sasuke's level could do with their eyes closed.

Big cases that emerged in this period focused more on something related to money.Every criminal tended to fixing their economic life, because by achieving peace conflicts that once be underestimated now happened more frequent.It made Sasuke rarely intervened.The jōnin could handle it without his aid.

That's why Sasuke let Sakura carry out solo mission.Their informan told them that this syndicate wasn't too dangerous. However, after he saw Sakura's mission report, it seemed that he had to handle them more seriously. Poison and drugs types produced by them have potential to cause greater problems if it left unchecked, yet being hokage for almost seven years gave Sasuke many lessons in dealing various problems.He already knew what he had to do with this troublesome syndicate.

These problems didn't burden him that much.Thing that bothering his mind was home.

_Home_.

Could he called it home if he rarely returns there?

Sasuke would be more agreed to call it haven.

Glancing at a clock, Sasuke sighed.

Should he came home?

Shinobi who work in the Hokage Tower have returned to their homes since four o'clock this afternoon.Whereas Sasuke, well, he was sitting in his office until two o'clock.Insomnia was his good friend.Sasuke didn't even tired right now.He could sleep for one or two hours here and went back home early in the next morning only to change clothes and have breakfast. However, Sakura had returned from mission and just left the hospital.He should have spared his time to return home, right?

According to their discussion before, the door would be locked if it was past ten o'clock.She said Sasuke better to enter through their bedroom window if he came home too late.

For almost six years, Sasuke felt that he always used window instead of door, it because he almost never came home under ten o'clock.

Back to his first question.Should he came home?

Kakashi would drag him out the office if he knew Sasuke was here when Sakura has just been released from hospital.

_Yeah_,_right_, he thought uninterestedly.

Taking a decision, Sasuke grabbed his black cloak and wore it while his hokage's cloak being left intentionally in the office.Damn formality.Nobody saw would him this late, right?Since long ago, he was always reluctant to wear it except having to attend formal events.

Nodding to himself, Sasuke immediately put a protective seal in office area, turned off the lights and get out from there.Predawn breeze made his long hair that covering his rinnegan's eyes exposed.He jumped from one roof to another, enjoying physical movements he didn't get for too long because he was always trapped behind pile of documents.

Even though he didn't complain too much about it, he wouldn't deny that he missed fighting.Gettingan equal sparring partner was hard because Kakashi himself often refused with age problems reason.In fact, Sasuke thought, Kakashi was as fit as before.It just his laziness that made him didn't want to move.

Besides that, Kakashi was amused to annoyed Sasuke.

A pretty goodsparring patnerwas only Kazekage. Yet, Gaara wasn't type of taijutsu user while Sasuke was more into using physical jutsu when sparring.Being shinobi with the highest skill alone was actually a bit unpleasurable.Should he ask Rock Lee this week?

Flinched by his own thoughts, Sasuke decided to bury hisspar desire.Practicing is no longer his necessity.He had ensured that his abilities didn't weaken and he was sure that was a fact.

... right?

After all, it's useless if his sparring partner wasn't on the same level as him.Sasuke wouldn't know about his power scale by then.Thinking of something like this won't bring him anywhere.

Landing his feet on the yard, Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the room lights.Sakura prefers to sleep without light or dim light.Looking at the room current condition, didn't that mean she hasn't slept yet?

Deciding to enter through the door, Sasuke knocked on the entrance, waited for a while and almost pulled away to dart into the window when he heard a voice from there.The door was wide open, showing Sakura wearing gray long-sleeved pajamas and wet pink hair.A towel was in her hand, she tilted her head to the side."I thought you didn't go home," she said dryly, as if she was annoyed at Sasuke."Okaeri, Hokage-sama, you're late for dinner," she stated with thick sarcasm.

Sasuke blinked.

_Hokage-sama?_

Coming inside, Sasuke took off his shoes and put it on the shelf.Sakura followed behind him and when they walked side by side, Sasuke asked, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Because I want to?"Sakura seriously replied.She put the white towel around her neck while Sasuke looked at her blankly. She shrugged."Can't sleep."

Sasuke didn't ask further.He continued walking to bathroom while Sakura went to their room.As he passed the kitchen, he saw several instant ramen cups in trash can.Knowing that Sakura ate these foods wasn't surprising.Sasuke wasn't surprised at all because they both often ate these food after Naruto abcence.However, so far, Sakura avoids eating at late night.Seeing those ramen cups that seemed had just been thrown out and more than three ... Sasuke let out a short sigh.

Was losing friends really hard for them?

Sakura consumed ramen just to remember Naruto.Knowing that she did it again after all this time ...

Getting rid of that thought, Sasuke immediately rushed to the bathroom, finished his business there, and returned to his room with a towel around his waist.He dried his hair and saw Sakura who was leaning on headboard while reading a recent magazine.Taking clean clothes from the closet and wearing them, he saw Sakura glancing at him before glancing back to read the magazine she was holding.Sasuke draped the towel he had been wearing on a coat hanger before landing on the bed.

Being with Sakura at night was a rare event.All this time, Sasuke always found Sakura had fallen asleep every time he returned home.She waited him to go home and stay up until the night only when she wanted to made out with him because he had told her that she could take the initiative if he ... had no desire to do so.

Their marriage had been going on like that since years.However, yesterday, after heard Sarada's words, he couldn't help but asked himself about what he had been doing all this time.Should he changed it?

Sakura had given him too much.

When doubts arose, Sasuke quickly remembered his reason for coming home.

That reason was enough to encourage him to speak up.

"Sarada's worried about you."

-and immediately forgot that he was never proficient in verbal things.

At moments like this, usually Sakura would smile to hide her surprise because Sasuke started the conversation.

Yet, this Sakura wasn't smile at all.She furrowed her brow and nodded, then said, "I've met her."

"Oh, that's great," Sasuke replied shortly.He thought of something to talk about and found nothing in his head.

Working as hokage instead of continuing to wander still doesn't improve his ability to communicate well.He turned his head, watching Sakura read a magazine with unfocused look.She seemed to be musing instead of reading the magazine.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"Sasuke asked, trying to lure Sakura to discuss their problems — if Sakura did consider their marriage as a problem.

Sakura blinked, as if she had just realized that she wasn't alone.She closed the magazine, then turned to Sasuke and honestly asked, "Talk? You mean about that syndicate?"

Why did she looked confused?

Sighing, he rearranged the pillow and lay down."Forget it."

Sakura followed him. She pulled the blanket up to the stomach and tilted herself to the side, facing Sasuke."Just say it, Sasuke. I can't read your mind."

_Thatcasualcallagain._

"Are you angry?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want something?"

"Err--no?"

"Get some sleep."

Sakura stared with a questioning look.Then she opened her mouth as if to say something, but decided to not do it and muttered a yes.While Sakura put the magazine on the bedside, Sasuke closed the lamp, making the moonlight out there as their light source.

Sakura muttered goodnight to Sasuke and turned around so she turned her back on her husband.Sasuke moved the pillow near Sakura, rearrange their blanket, and put his arm around her waist before embraced her from behind.In front of him, Sasuke felt Sakura tensed, as if Sasuke's actions surprised her.

Fixing something with words might not be his skill, but he could do it with action.Sakura's surprise was understandable because he had never taken the initiative of physical contact except when they were having sex.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, Sasuke murmured, "Sorry," before closing his eyes while inhaling Sakura's fresh scent which was somehow different from usual. Sakura was always smell like flowers, but now she feels more like a forest and fresh air in the wild.If his smell wasn't wrong— which is never wrong — Sakura taste more like fruits than flowers.

In the dark, Sasuke couldn't see how Sakura's hand was clenched on the side of the pillow and how her lips closed into a straight line.All Sasuke could feel was her stiff body and how heavy her breath was, as if she was holding back tears.Sasuke's heart was crushed by guilt when he learned that Sarada's words were true.

When Sasuke was about to apologize again, he felt Sakura start to calm down.Her body was no longer stiff and her breathing had stabilized again.When speaking, her voice sounded normal, as if all the overflowing emotions hadn't happened at all.Instead of a hoarse voice from crying, what was heard was a light laughter that somehow felt very familiar, but at the same time it was also strange to hear it coming out from this pink-haired woman's lips.

"You really have become a human, have you?"

The teasing tone used by Sakura made Sasuke stare in disbelief.All serious atmosphere that surrounding them seemed to be blown away by the wind very easily once the light tone came from Sakura's lips.Sasuke was so surprised so that he forgot how to reply.

"Mm-hm, now you've become a living statue again. Brilliant," Sakura muttered as she buried the side of her face on the pillow."Just be yourself, Sasuke. Apologize like that wasn't your style."

"Does the poison effect still affect your head?"

"Maybe," she said indifferently.Moments later, she yawned."We're okay now, how about it?"

"I'm glad."

"Hey, that's not what I meant. You still have to spend your time with Sarada and so on. She suspects you, y'know. Every now and then go with her to teach basics taijutsu or whatever. Konohamaru loves to prank children, especially girls by giving them resistance training. I'll give that young teacher a lesson someday, but before it you have take your time to teach Sarada first because she has this stamina problems, her head's brilliant, but it no use if she can't do any fight. "

Sasuke stiffened when he heard Sakura's long words.His eyes widened, he saw her in his arms, feeling something familiar that had pierced into his chest.

Deja vú, Sasuke felt dejá vú.Where did he heard it?Did this kind of sentence actually came from Sakura?As he drifted into his mind, Sasuke heard the faint swearing he suspected coming from this figure in his arms.

_What?_

"Can you repeat it?"Sasuke asked seriously.He held Sakura's shoulders and pulled them until they faced each other.Face to face.The moonlight from the window made Sasuke see a surprised expression on Sakura's face, as if she was astonished at her own words.Her mouth fell open slightly and she widened her eyes.Sasuke shifted her bangs with his fingers and held his hand to stay there, making Sakura inevitably stared at him."Sakura, you--"

Pressing her hand to Sasuke's chest in oder to make a distance between them, Sakura chuckled nervously.

Yes, Sasuke believed that was nervous laughter and there was only one person who always behaved like that.

One person.

What was--

"I'm rambling again, right? Oh, forget it. The poison effect is disaster," she said very quickly.Sasuke furrowed his brows, feeling surprised as well as not believing.

Sakura shifted to the side and stared at the ceiling.She closed her eyes with her arm and exhaled.

"Can't we just sleep?"commented her in desperate voice."I'm dizzy."

The way she says dizzy sounds ambiguous.As if she didn't say dizzy in the context of her aching head.

Ignoring the oddities that felt so disturbing, Sasuke decided to not continue their conversation. Whatever the oddities that appeared in Sakura, Sasuke preferred her to behave like this.Sakura's behavior that didn't demand anything from him and chose to act as if there was no tension between them made Sasuke calm.

All the burden on his shoulders seemed to be left up.He felt that after all this time Sakura finally could understand that he didn't like a complicated relationship.What's in his brain was Sakura should act normal to him just like when she behaves to other people.Sakura didn't need to try to be perfect or anything in order to make her being accepted by Sasuke.Because the more she tried the more guilt Sasuke felt, because in his eyes everything was wrong.

Since seven years ago, Sakura was trying to be someone else for Sasuke's sake. She always locked her bad emotions such as being disappointed or angry.As if those two emotions would make Sasuke leave her.She was so careful to Sasuke, wasn't like her attitude towards Naruto.It made Sasuke uncomfortable because it meant Sakura still expect him a lot when they both knew that Sasuke couldn't give her more than what he gave now.

Yet, since the last two days, Sakura seemed ... freer?

Or was it because Sakura had finally reach Sasuke's standard?

What actually had happened?

Fixing their blanket that had been slightly exposed, Sasuke tried to divert his mind by staring at the ceiling.What he saw there was an iconic grin from a person who was Jinchūriki Kyūbi.

He groaned inwardly and followed Sakura's gesture beside him who closed her eyes using one hand.

Deep inside, the figure beside Sasuke dreamed of someone who smiled wistfully and whispered, "_Baka_," while rubbing the clear liquid flowing down her cheeks.Her mind ran into the incident years ago--in a valley that had been ravaged by the battle of two people who were too strong.

_In the end only you who can reach him, Naruto.Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be by his side.Now, you will get him back.I entrust my family to you because we all will always be family.]_**_TBC_**


	4. Chapter 4

In the morning, Sasuke woke up by the sun that felt to stab his eyes. He blinked several times and squinted while closing it with his palm.When he was about to get up, he felt his right arm burdened by something.

Sasuke glanced to his right side, found a pink-haired figure was curled up with one hand lying on the side of Sasuke's neck while one leg pressed against Sasuke's leg, making their legs intertwined.The blanket they had used last night had been exposed at the end of the bed and seemed to be about to fall.

Trying to remember what happened, Sasuke suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, remembering that he no longer had to worry about Sakura's condition.Even so, Sasuke wondered since when his wife began to sleep in a mess like this.On previous nights, they always wake up in the same position.Even if they move, their change are not too far from the initial position when they fall asleep.

However, now...

Besides that, since when did Sakura has not wake up when the sun had gotten so high?

Droopingsohigh.

Realization hit him.He cursed inwardly.Since long ago, he was not amorningperson.But, he also never woke up too late.Maybe, for several times.But, of course not on weekdays.

Did he have a day off?

Oh, now wasn't the time to think about that.

Turning Sakura's arm away from his neck, Sasuke rose to his feet while Sakura's legs still stucked with him. He turned to stare at a clock, looking at the clock that had shown thirty past seven.A new record for the past nine years.Brilliant.

Sasuke never woke up more than five o'clock.At the latest he woke up at five.

What's up with his insomniac?Did his irritating illness suddenly decide to leave?Should he be relieved or upset?

Cursing his unfocused head, Sasuke decided to hurry up and start his daily routine.There was an important kages meeting today and the problem was the meeting started at half past nine which means another hour.Sasuke might not need to rush because this meeting was located in Konoha.But, with all the welcoming events and other troublesome formalities...

Switching Sakura's legs not too carefully, he heard her protest.He didn't respond too much and immediately got out of bed — only to be stopped by Sakura.The black shirt he was wearing was pulled while Sakura tried to sit down.She rubbed her eyes with her back hand and looked at Sasuke with narrowed eyes.

"Sasuke?"She said in a questioning tone.

Glancing at the clock, Sasuke impatiently replied, "Yes?"

Sakura pulled her hand away.She widened her eyes, following the direction Sasuke's eyes were staring.In the next second, Sakura had crawled down from their bed while cursing under her breath.

Sasuke frowned and followed Sakura out of the room after grabbing a towel that was slung on a coat hanger.He headed for the bathroom, but stopped in the kitchen when he saw Sakura — with her short hair that had been tied messily— was opening the refrigerator.Her expression was holding back a very obvious irritation.

"You must be joking," she said in a horror tone.Her eyes were scanning their refrigerator items which only contained bottles of mineral water and some red vegetables called tomatoes.Without turning her head, Sakura grunted, "I shouldn't expect much. Oh, what I think. Of course you're not thinking about our house. Just forget about shopping for groceries. Why did I ever think that Sasuke Uchiha would go to the minimarket and buy rice?"

Since when did Sakura become so blunt like this?

Besides that, was that sarcasm?

Still feeling a bit annoyed because he had already late, Sasuke immediately approached Sakura by the urge to defend himself.He scanned their refrigerator that did not have anything but tomato and mineral water.Next to him, Sakura was staring at Sasuke, looked like she want to burn him alive.

"You're going to shop today," Sasuke concluded."I don't need breakfast while you can eat outside with Sarada."

Sakura blinked.Seconds later, a smile adorned her lips.

"Brilliant," she muttered, still with a smile."And later you will faint because of hunger," she added with a fake smile that made the corner of Sasuke's eyes twitch.

"No," he replied shortly.He remembered Kage's meeting schedule and immediately turned to return to the bathroom."There's an important meeting today. I'm late."

Following Sasuke who was walking towards the bathroom, Sakura said, "Who cares. Kakashi-sensei is always late. After all, being late sometimes isn't a big sin."

"My credibility will decrease."

"Then, Kakashi-sensei's credibility has sunk at the bottom of the sea trough."

Sasuke snorted with laughter."That old man has no hope. Don't compare me with him."

Sakura chuckled beside him.Sasuke could hear tingling in her voice when she said, "In ten years you will end up just like him if you continue to be rigid with your work. Relax a little, Sasuke. Godaime has never questioned herimageand I think you are too. Since when did you care about image? Who fucking cares with what other people say. Ya hear me?"

They have arrived in front of bathroom.Sasuke stopped his footsteps and looked at Sakura with a calculated look.Sakura was frozen in place.She put on an expression just like last night.An expression that showed as if she was surprised by her own actions.Sasuke reminded himself to see Sakura's health record after her mission two days ago.

Sakura did not bring up their problems anymore.She did not hold back anymore.However, with her head already clear, Sasuke knew that such behavior actually felt unusual and tended to be odd.Sasuke was disturbed by something.When he thought about it, he admitted that he was labile because last night he had just admitted that he liked Sakura now.But, all the chatter, annoyed tone, and also the reflexes she showed after her return from mission ... everything was too strange, but at the same time it was so familiar.

Sakura made him calm, even unconsciously made him able to sleep well without any nightmare about his past.How could Sakura effected him like that?

All her movements, the way she speaks ...

Why did Sasuke see ... Naruto in those green eyes?

Stunned by his own thoughts, Sasuke tried to calm himself and made an inner note to find out what really happened to Sakura, what made her so different.For now, he should go through all this first.Because, to be honest Sasuke also enjoyed it.He was happy to chat casually like this.He was happy because now there seemed to be no barriers that created tension between them.Sasuke felt like he was getting his best friend back.

Was Sasuke wrong for enjoying Sakura's self-change?

Swept away by his own thoughts, Sasuke almost missed Sakura sentences. "You will have breakfast with us. Ayame-san misses you by the way," in a serious tone, as if her words did not contain a joke at all.

Again.

Sasuke stared blankly at Sakura.

Sakura groaned softly.

"Oh, come on. Pleasing other people won't hurt your ego, right?"

Sasuke reached out to open bathroom door when Sakura preceded him. She looked back at Sakura who was saying, "Ne, Sasuke, please?"

Please.

Please.

Please.

Sasuke's head was throbbing. Sakura's eyes seemed to change colors from emerald to sapphire for a few moments. Until then, sapphire eyes from his imagination seemed to last too long, making Sasuke not aware of the closeness of their faces and his desire to unite his lips with a feminine-faced figure he should never know could be owned by the name of someone who was filling his head at that time. Sakura's hair color suddenly changed from pink to golden. Her short hair extends until it touch her thigh. Likewise with her looks. The smooth-looking cheeks now were decorated with birthmarks that only certain an Uzumaki had.

Uchiha Sasuke clearly saw a woman who was so similar to Uzumaki Naruto and he was so transfixed so that he did not realize she had widen her eyes and forming a hand seal so quickly. When he blinked, the golden-haired figure returned to Sakura and he heard Sarada's footsteps walking towards them.

"Dad? Mom?" asked the six-year-old girl. She weared clean clothes that opposites from her parents who still looked messy. "Are you ... oversleep? I heard your talk from my room and—"

"Your father came home late, Sarada. You have to blame him," Sakura said as she approached the Uchiha Heiress. "We will eat out with Papa."

Sarada's oniks eyes glowed. She looked at Sakura who was smiling and Sasuke who was staring at Sakura differently. However, Sarada liked it. The two of them somehow looked close and she remembered Sakura's words yesterday.

"Really?" Sarada sound enthusiasts. Her eyes gleamed with hope. "Will you eat out with us?"

Sasuke felt heavy just to shake his head. Instead of shaking it, he nodded and murmured, "Aa."

"Yatta!" shouted Sarada. She hugged Sakura spontaneously. Sarada's laughter sounded so comforting to the two adults who were there. Showing a smile to Sakura, Sarada said, "You did it, Mama! We succeeded! You kept your promise and proved it!"

"Mm-hm," Sakura replied as she rubbed Sarada's hair, so focused on her child's innocent eyes so that she didn't notice the other onyx stare. "Now do you admit my greatness?"

"Ninety-five percent."

"Ah, shouldn't it be a hundred?"

"No, you can't. Papa told me there's nothing perfect. One hundred is impossible."

"99,9% then?"

"It's too close to perfect."

"One hundred, then," Sakura concluded as she pressed her index finger on Sarada's tiny lips when she were about to protest again. "Don't follow your father pessimism, ok? One hundred can always be achieved even when you have to work a thousand times."

"Is that so?"

"Of course!" Sakura exclaimed lightly. She smiled and shuffled Sarada's hair. "Now, you will take your academy bag and wait for us. Roger ?"

"Roger!"

Afterwards, Sarada rushed to her room, leaving two people frozen. They were swept away by their respective thoughts. Until then Sakura closed her eyes, got to her feet, turned to face Sasuke, and said, "I'll wait outside."

Sasuke nodded stiffly. He saw Sakura walking away but decided to called her back.

She turned around and raised her eyebrow.

"Do you need anything?"

"No," he said shortly, then continued, "You're wearing apron upside down."

Afterwards, Sasuke disappeared behind the bathroom door, leaving Sakura blinking and checking the truth for Sasuke's statement. An annoyed expression graced her face when she said, "A bastard will always be a bastard."

However, anyone who saw her would not miss her soft tone and how her lips showed a faint smile. Fortunately, no one witnessed those moment. Except for creatures hidden by a seal that had been deliberately opened for years.

**oOo**

Yamanaka Ino had heard Sakura's return and her conditions when she arrived in Konoha two days ago, yet she had not even met her once. Usually, they will always meet because Sakura often visited her at the flower shop. Sometimes, they also met at the hospital.

Knowing her friend's absence, Ino became curious and worried. Yesterday afternoon, she had visited the hospital to do routine check up regarding her pergnancy. However, she did not find the pink-haired medical ninja at all. Instead of found her, she only met Nanako, a medical person who worked under Sakura's orders. Nanako was identifying the type of poison sample that Sakura brought and told Ino about Sakura being hospitalized due to chakra exhaustion.

So, today, Ino intended to meet her best friend, but the figure has already appeared before her. Not fully appeared, yet she saw her in a mini market with an empty basket. Sakura stand in the vegetable sector with a reluctant expression, as if the food which dominated by green color would attack her if she decided to put them in her shopping basket.

Of the many hobbies Sakura has, shopping is one of them. Seeing her glum like that couldn't help her curiosity and she automatically drag her feet toward her friend.

Before Ino opened her mouth to greet Sakura, the pink-haired head had looked up to look at her. She blinked before smiling.

"Ah, you're on time, Ino," Sakura said with a smile that still adorned her face. "Kinda need help here."

Shaking her head, Ino pressed her index finger on Sakura's shoulder, then hissed, "Oi, Forehead, where have you gone? Why is it so hard to find your broad forehead?"

Instead of replying her friend's mock as usual, Sakura flinched. She laughed nervously.

"I'm right here, see?" She pointing at herself. "Besides that, Konoha is quite wide, right?"

Ino rolled her eyes when she heard Sakura's words. Extending a hand to sort vegetables, Ino asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Don't lie to me again, Sakura. I knew," Ino said before exhaled. She put down the cabbage she had held before. "Tell me."

Sakura fell silent. Her eyes fixed on the food ingredients in front of her. Then, just as Ino about to repeat her words, Sakura said, "I'm shopping."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see it."

Sakura grimaced. She turned to Ino, put a hand on her shoulder and somehow looked at the Yamanaka with a guilty look that made her wonder.

"Sorry," Sakura said dryly. She swallowed her saliva and continued, "I mean, we can't talk here, you see?"

Following Sakura's eyes that scanning a pretty crowded surrounding, Ino clicked her tongue. She immediately grabbed the shopping basket held by Sakura and quickly put the ingredients there, making Sakura widen her eyes while shouting in protest.

"Oh, no, Ino! Take back the vegetables, it's too much!" Sakura said frantically.

Ino ignored her. She immediately moved from the vegetable sector to the spice sector and took some of the instant spices Sakura usually bought with her. Choosing to let Ino helped her, she looked at her with anxiety. Especially when the blonde woman moving swiftly from the fruit sector to the fish and meat sector, suddenly feeling worried if Ino slipped and made her womb troubled. After putting some frozen meat and fish into the basket, Ino dragged Sakura to the cashier while folding her arms.

"We will stop by the tea shop to talk," Ino said in an irrefutable tone.

Sakura grimaced when she heard that. She paid for the groceries and just accept Ino request to stop by a teahouse near the Hokage Tower. Walking next to her bestfriend, she glanced towards the building, looked at it for a few moments before entering the store and sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. This spot was a bit hidden. If someone enters the store, they will miss two people sitting in a corner of the room - unless the person has very sharp vision.

Ino ordered the green tea she usually bought while Sakura preferred the original tea which made Ino raise an eyebrow. However, the former Head of the IT Division did not voice her question. She watched Sakura placed the plastic shopping bag on the chair's feet before propping her cheek with her hand.

"What should I tell?" Sakura asked uninterestedly. The pressure were no longer adorning her emerald eyes. A while ago, Ino did not pay attention to it clearly. However, right now, she could see through it. Sakura doesn't look burdened anymore.

Linking one assumption to another, Ino finally got a conclusion on her head. There were only one reason that made Sakura no longer show that sad look. There is only one reason. Then, knowing it, Ino gave a slanted smile.

"Have you got it?" She starting to ask.

Sakura tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Clucking her tongue, Ino still looked at Sakura with a slanted smile. "Don't pretend, Sakura. Tell me."

Sakura paused for a moment, looked thoughtful. A few moments later she said, "Is this about Sasuke?"

Ino nodded. She leaned over, wanted to say something before a realization slap her.

She blinked.

"Have you reach that stage when you call him just by his name?" She squeak.

"Didn't I always call him like that?"

"You didn't add suffix behind his name!" Ino exclaimed enthusiastically. "It might sound trivial, but I know you never feel comfortable calling him so casually because, you know, we're talking about Sasuke-kun."

Sakura seemed surprised by something. She then laughed softly.

"Ah, yeah. I'm learning to get used to it. Isn't it better?"

Sipping the tea she had ordered, Ino asked again.

"So, how about you and Sasuke?"

Sakura hesitating when she heard the question. She leaned on the back of the chair while her hands busy playing with the teacup.

"Mm-hm, we're fine."

The relief in Ino's heart disappeared. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Sakura carefully. The emotion of sadness did not exist, but Sakura clearly did not look calm.

"He still ignores you?" Her tone sound irritated. "He still avoiding you?"

Now, it's Sakura who looks surprised. She pondered for a while before deciding to answer.

"No," she answer shortly, then averted her gaze from the tea cup to Ino. "Last night he came home and apologized."

Ino leaned over to the table.

"Then?"

"Then?" Sakura parrots. She raised her eyebrows. "We sleep?"

Groaning lowly, Ino hold herself from shouting.

"Yes, of course you sleep because you are exhausted. But, before going to bed. How long have you and him done it? How many times? Has there been a change? It must be, right? I mean, I know he will do it if you ask him. But now he must have done it without being asked, right? From that alone there was a difference. So, how?"

Sakura seemed to think about something. Not long after that, she blinked. Her voice sounded dry when she asked, "You mean ... sex?"

Ino sighed and patted her forehead.

"Of course, Forehead!"

Suddenly Sakura looked so pale, as if she had just realized the existence of a ghost who had been hiding in the corner of her room. Ino caught the change in her expression, but she hadn't had time to ask because Sakura had already preceded it. Laugh curtly while waving her hand, she said, "Well, you're not lucky, Ino. There's no hot story here. We actually went straight to bed last night. He was exhausted already from the office and immediately collapsed till morning. He almost didn't have time to breakfast because he worried if he late. "

Ino eyes exuded disappointment. She threw herself onto the back of the chair while rubbing her stomach. A sour expression on her face invited laughter from Sakura's lips who had just sipped her tea. A few minutes later they left the shop after Sakura told Ino to stop over thinking of her and just pay more attention to her pregnancy. She said something about pregnant women who should not think too much so that the baby wouldn't affected. Ino just listened casually and hugged Sakura when they parted ways.

Feeling surprised by Ino's actions, Sakura returned her hug stiffly and asked the reason for the action. Ino just laughed and said that she had a bad feeling since a few days ago. Seeing Sakura who was fine really made her feel relieved.

As soon as the two separated, Sakura let out a short sigh several times before stepping towards the house. She chose a detour that made her pass through a quiet alley instead of the main road. When she just been walked a few meters, suddenly the groceries she held fell to the ground, together with an explosion from outside the village. The plastic fell as soon as Sakura disappeared into a puff of smoke and a familiar poof sound.

**_TBC_**


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto_

* * *

The Kage Meeting is a meeting held routinely every two years after the Fourth Shinobi Great War eleven years ago. All five ninja villages agreed to continue an alliance that has maintained peace for about eleven years. The purpose of an alliance is not only to provide a strong military force which is a combination of five ninja villages. However, the alliance is also a forum for sharing information with each other.

Because of that functions, they-the Kage-has a wide and trusted information network, but at the same time they are also confidential. The great problems of the ninja world are only known by a handful of people who play an important role in the five big villages. Of the big problems that are being discussed, one of them concerns an illegal syndicate that turns out to be more dangerous than they thought.

This statement was stated by four other villages who said that a few weeks ago they had been attacked by a group of people who introduced themselves as Sora-The Sky. The characteristic of this group is wearing a maroon colored robe with a hood covering the head and pierced face. Either in the lips, nose, or in both ears.

Their strength has not been defined because they seem to control almost five natural elements at once. Starting from fire, water, earth, wind, to lightning. Their bodies as strong as steel and they consume capsules that suspected to be able to double strength. The effect of the capsule could be seen from the seal that covers the whole body.

The news Sasuke had just heard made him alert. The link between this group of people named Sora is very clear. They have multiplied their strength using capsules which are the end result of poison concoctions made by a group of illegal poison syndicates.

As soon as the Kazekage finished telling the news, Sasuke immediately asked, "What are they after?"

Exhaling while leaning back on the back of the chair, Tsuchikage murmured darkly, "Children. They kidnapped them while plundering the property of non-ninja citizens."

"Shinobi and non-shinobi settlements on Kirigakure tend to be separate. As a result, there were so many victims," Mizukage said angrily. "The children they kidnapped weren't genin nor chūnin, they targeting kids who are still in the Academy or even those who don't have any ninja skills at all."

"Very low, indeed," replied the Raikage. His expression looked bored, but his voice showed firmness. "I don't know what the big goal of this group is. But, sooner or later they will surely attack the daimyo and the ninja villages will get the impact."

Raikage's estimate is very reasonable. Judging from the targets of the attack, Sora would surely soon hunt down the nobles from the five big countries. Either to kidnap children who are the successors of the higher-ups or to plunder the wealth owned by them. To arrest these people, the step that can be taken is to send shinobi to the daimyo security temples and their residence. The presence of a country for the ninja village is vital because even though they have no fighting ability, they excel in the economy.

Expressing a plan to protect the daimyo, Sasuke, as the host of this meeting, closed their discussion while asking for their cooperation. The four Kages nodded respectfully at them and they were rushing down for a banquet when a huge explosion was heard on the village border.

Everyone turned heads to the source of the explosion that came from the west of the meetinghouse. Ten shinobi who were bodyguards of the Kage immediately rushed into the meeting room. They looked so alert with each hand ready to hold a weapon.

Hyūga Neji and Sai who were bodyguards of the Hokage exclaimed, "Hokage-sama-"

Sasuke immediately nodded, giving permission for them to check the chaos out there. The other Kage guards followed Neji and Sai. However, a few seconds after their departure, a big explosion appeared again. This time the capacity of the explosion felt greater than before, making several paintings hanging on the wall fall to the ground.

The situation that seemed precarious in the midst of this peace made the Kage itchy want to check the scene. They immediately followed the guards while Sasuke dashed out, witnessing the panic that had engulfed the village he had led for the past seven years.

People running with scared faces. They bumped into each other, causing a meaningless fight. In a row of food stalls, quite a lot of goods are scattered, which of course become unfit for sale because of being trampled. Children cry because they are scared. They appear separate from their parents. When the explosion appeared again, Sasuke saw a puff of smoke coming from the west-direction where the initial explosion appeared. However, this time, the distance of the explosion was closer than before. If earlier the position was outside the gate, now the creator of the explosion had passed through the gate and was heading to the middle of the village.

The shinobi in charge were not present on the sidelines of this commotion. They seemed to have rushed along with Neji and Sai to the scene. In the middle of the village, Sasuke saw the iron building which swayed due to the explosion. The iron from the building which was not yet finished was going to fall down at any time and hit a child who was crying under it.

Just before the iron fell on the poor little boy, Sasuke had already raced in to scoop the boy's tiny body and landed right in front of a group of people who were fighting. They seemed unaware of the Hokage's presence and were still busy with his argument when Sasuke's patience was running low.

He reached into the bag of weapons from behind the Hokage's robe and threw a kunai right between the faces of the two people who were fighting, instantly making both of them jumped in surprise and broke away from the event pulling one another's collars. Their heads and other people were immediately directed at the perpetrators of the kunai throwers, looking about to get angry again, but immediately discouraged it when they saw who interrupted their quarrel.

Panickly, the two men immediately corrected their messy uniforms, and bowed to Sasuke.

"Hokage-sama. Sorry for our negligence and unprofessional attitude—"

Sasuke saw their red eyes from getting drunk.

He held back a snort.

"Evacuate residents," he said firmly. He looked at the non-ninja citizens who were now silent and paid full attention to their leaders. "For others, follow their instructions. Bring your children and make sure they are safe."

They all nodded and without saying much followed Sasuke's direction. As he was about to leave, Sasuke saw the mother of the child he had saved hugging her child tightly while the child cried. She stroked the boy's back, trying to calm him down before standing up and holding him. When the young woman looked at Sasuke, she gave him a grateful smile.

"You saved my child, Sasuke-sama. My family and I will be very indebted to you."

An explosion came again for the fourth time. Although it sound was far weaker than before, Sasuke still turned his head towards the explosion.

Sharpening his gaze, Sasuke returned his attention to the brownish haired woman who had just thanked him.

"Don't leave him alone again. Hurry and follow the evacuation."

Without waiting for the woman's response, Sasuke jumped from roof to roof to hurry to the scene. His curiosity was at the end, he could not wait anymore without seeing firsthand what had happened.

The ninja crowd slightly blocked his view as he swept the area right in front of the gate. What is seen there will make any engineer cry because their work was destroyed so easily. Buildings around the place have partially collapsed. The water channel has leaked quite large, wetting the streets that were initially crowded by people passing by. Instead of people passing by, Sasuke found his ninjas who were moving the fainting victims. He was able to ensure that they were still alive thanks to the sharingan that had been activated in his right eye.

Even though the situation looked so bad, Sasuke was unable to see the perpetrators of this damage. He was only able to see a long hole a few meters from the gate and was still extending outside the gate there, as if someone had just pulled a large rock and left a trail on the ground.

Seeing the absence of the perpetrators, Sasuke continued to run. He was still running until his eyes caught a silver barrier soaring high in the forest. Approaching the location, Sasuke found the Kages, Neji, Sai, and many other ninja who were staring intently at the barrier. They are all transfixed by what's inside there.

Sasuke landed right next to Gaara and Sai. His eyes scanned the battle hidden by thick clouds of smoke and dust behind the barrier. The sound of clanging weapons, blazing fires, small explosions, and loud blows made him sharpen his eyes. However, his eyes still could not see what was there. The silver barrier kept them from fighting. Nobody can see through it.

At the two ends of the closest barrier, Sasuke saw chain embedded in the ground. The chain extends to the conical barrier.

Pursing his lips, Sasuke asked Neji.

"What do you see?"

Neji who was activating the Byakugan replied, "Fighting. Five against one. Five of these people wore a maroon robe while one person who was against him, he ... no-she-wearing a long kimono. The barrier seemed to originate from this woman because the chain that stuck into the bottom of the ground turned out to be directly connected to her body. But, strangely, her movements were not disturbed at all by chains coming out of each side of her body. "

Barrier in the form of a chain is very rare. There is only one person who can do it right now. But, what is Karin doing here?

_Is she Karin? _

Next to Sasuke, Gaara murmured, "No way."

Sasuke immediately commented, "What do you mean?"

Gaara shook his head. He pointed to the puff of smoke and dust that had begun to subside.

"She ... looks different. The woman, look."

Right when Gaara finished his words, a large explosion occurred. The shinobi who circled the barrier immediately moved away to avoid it as soon as the barrier that kept them from fighting suddenly disappeared. The sound of the battle became clearer and Sasuke was finally able to hear the woman's screams and laughter as she — several meters in front of the Kages — with her arms extended to shake a whip coated in reddish chakra.

"Run, Scum! Run!" She exclaimed cheerfully, an amused tone very obvious in her voice.

In the midst of the puffs of smoke and dust that began to subside, Sasuke saw five red-robed people who tried to stand after lying on the ground. They turned their heads toward the woman while trying to escape with a trail of blood at each step of their foot.

This woman's strange aura in front of him made Sasuke stunned for a moment. However, he soon regained control of himself and intended to capture the five attackers with his own hands when the female chain chakra tied his ankles to the ground. When he turned his head, he found the Kages and other ninja experiencing the same thing.

The woman who turned her back was still invisible, apparently because she was still covered by the remnants of smoke. All Sasuke was able to capture at that time was her slim body posture and her long kimono that was blown by the wind, showing her long legs due to the design of the kimono which had a slit from the waist to the thighs down.

When the puffs of smoke and dust were completely clean, Sasuke was finally able to see her more clearly. Especially when she turns around and displays a lopsided smile that looks very, very cunning and looks so inhumane-with her long fangs, blood-red eyes that have vertical pupils, up to two foreign objects that resemble fox ears on her head.

Wearing a long, reddish-white kimono, she looked so bright with her dark red hair that was unraveling until it reached her thighs. The hair is blown away by the wind, instantly making the inhuman aura emitted by her stronger. Looking further, Sasuke was able to see the eye lines and the shape of her eyebrows that were so sharp-a form that added to the wildness of the woman's appearance even though Sasuke did not deny that the strange woman had such an attractive face.

The entire shinobi there seemed to feel the same thing when they saw bright red eyes and a lopsided smile on her face. They feel the same way, an enormous interest, making everyone almost forget their existence here. The wild aura of the woman was so alluring. Her red lips were so tempting. Her posture was so perfect. Her laughter was so beautiful, it drifted softly in their ears.

All these circumstances, this aura ... Everything is so absurd, inhuman-

Feeling a gentle caress on the side of his face, Sasuke immediately dispelled a disturbing aura which damnly able to influence him to the point of being unable to think clearly. He did not even see, hear, or feel this woman's movements as she walked toward them. If she had been a few meters ahead, now she was right in front of Sasuke.

Truly right in front of him. Their distance was only a few inches adrift, with the scent of the forest and the freshness of the familiar wild that could pierce his sense of smell. The woman's breath hit his face. Sasuke was able to see her canine teeth so clearly when she returned to display smirk.

Utilizing the rest of the logic that made him able to refrain from pulling and kissing her right then and there, Sasuke immediately grabbed her wrist and stopped her playing with her long hair covering her left eye. An amused look returned to her eyes when Sasuke — in a cold tone — said, "Take your chains off of us."

Stepping back with fake surprised expression, the woman exclaimed, "Oh, are you trapped by my chain?"

"Don't play around, Onna." Someone said in his usual hoarse voice.

Her red eyes immediately fixed on the other red-haired figure. A disturbing smile reappeared on her face.

"Forgive my impudence, Kazekage," she said cheerfully. She jumped back, giving herself a wider distance from the people. "It just reflex ... anticipating if you decide to attack me all of a sudden. You know, you shinobi are really hard to trust strangers. I've heard it from someone."

Kurotsuchi who seemed to have succeeded to control herself then spoke up.

"What made us not attack you?"

The woman folded her arms in front of her chest. She tapped her tapering fingers on her chin, trying to look as if she was thinking.

"What about the fact that I just kicked five damn ass and prevented them from destroying the village?" She asked playfully. Before anyone can match it, she has already added. "Oh! What about me who created a barrier and kept that huge explosion in it so that your beloved village won't run out of dust? Or, about me preventing them from killing your true colleagues and kidnapping your beloved children? What about that?"

Mizukage, with a hostile expression, said, "You let them run and prevented the Hokage from going after them."

"Oh." She said in that shocking tone again. She looked back at Sasuke who was staring at her coldly. "I thought he wants to attack me! Don't you guys feel how much killing intent leaking by him?"

Sai who had been observing the movements of the woman had finally decided to join in this conversation. If there is someone who is unable to get upset quickly, then that person is himself. The effect of being in Root is still quite beneficial in the long run. His emotional control is far better than anyone there.

"What your business with us, Onna-san? I see you have many opportunities to go with them instead of chatting politely with us here."

Turning her head to Sai, the woman's expression suddenly seemed blank. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but decided to against it. With a forehead wrinkled, she blinked several times, looking like she was removing something disturbing inside her head. When finished with the odd gesture, the woman smiled again.

However, instead of smiling slyly, she looks more refined and friendly. That inhuman aura still surrounds her, she also still looks so alluring and makes them all need extra concentration to gaping openly. However, she is different from the way she spoke later. Instead of sound condescending, at least now she sounds like she's on par with all of them.

"Thank you for reminded me," said the woman. She nodded her head to Sai before turning her gaze to the other person in front of her. "I didn't mean anything bad. What I did was indeed a ... anticipation, yeah," She said, reaching out to release the chain.

With a wave of her hand, the chains returned to her body. Dozens pairs of eyes looked at her warily. The woman sighed in exasperation.

"Trust me a little, can you?!" She jerked impatiently, as if mood swing had suddenly decided to attack her. However, seconds later she waved her hand. "It's no problem if you're not trust me. I just wanna tell this."

With a long whip she had been holding, a scroll suddenly appeared from the air. The technique looks so strange. Nobody has ever seen such a technique. However, they don't really mind it now. The problem was when she threw the scroll to the Hokage and shunned before someone was able to hold it. Sasuke scanned the scroll there and scanned it using the sharingan. When he learns that there is no chakra flow which allows explosive paper or such, he immediately opens it.

What was in his hand was a map. The map is titled Sora's Hideout Location, which is full of scribbles marked with x at some point. The distribution pattern is uneven, Kumogakure seems to have a lot of scribbles while Suna has only a few. Other villages tend to be balanced and something seems to start to look strange when he sees several points scattered in the middle of the sea.

Leaving the other Kage to see, Sasuke also told the Konoha-nin to immediately move on from there and begin to repair the damage inside the village. They carried out Sasuke's direction quickly when three people from the forest landed in front of Sasuke. The three people are Konohamaru and two of his friends, they have scratches on several parts of their body. The jōnin uniform they wore was torn here and there and looked scorched.

Ignoring the surprised gazes of the two Hokage guards, Konohamaru handed another scroll to Sasuke.

"A letter from the woman, Hokage-sama," he explained. "She-uh-said that she was in a hurry because she left something in the middle of the road and forgot to give the letter to you."

Ignoring the irregularities in Konohamaru's explanation, Sasuke opened the scroll to read it briefly. The contents of the letter are explanations of several locations in remote islands and sky villages in the air, which is why there are several points in the middle of the ocean. Aside from the explanation, nothing else is said in the scroll. Sasuke put it in his pocket and looked back at Konohamaru and his two colleagues.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

Beginning to understand each of the short remarks that The Seventh often threw at him, Konohamaru answered shyly.

"We chased them after realizing that our feet weren't tied to a chain. But, when we caught them, the five people-uhm-exploded. They blew themselves up into a blaze and wind swirl. Their bodies were like time bombs. If we don't hide ourself under the ground, the wind and fire have vanquished the three of us. "

Is that why she uses chains to prevent their chasing?

But why Konohamaru?

"Hokage, it looks like we have to go back to discussing this issue," Darui said uninterestedly.

Chojuro said in a tired tone.

"Whoever that woman is, she really helps us with all the information she provides. I don't know how to get all this, but with the information on the map, we have a definite location that can be visited immediately," he said.

Kurotsuchi looked at the remaining battle damage which produced a super large hole in the middle of the forest.

"It's been a long time since we witnessed such a battle," she muttered softly, but could be clearly captured by her colleagues. "What's her name, huh? I forgot to ask."

"Whoever she is, she definitely not an ordinary person," said Gaara.

The Tsuchikage agreed.

"Ordinary people won't have fox ears, Kazekage. I totally understand." A few seconds later, Kurotsuchi seemed to remember something. Sh looked at the eight men who were there. Her eyes glowed ignorantly. "She's very charming, hm? I even thought about dating her even though she's a girl. Unfortunately, she seems more interested in you, Hokage. You have to be careful."

Of the five Kage, Kurotsuchi was indeed the only person who was not too carried away by the flow of formality. She has a relaxed nature and looks more approachable than her four other colleagues, especially the two people who hold the title of Kazekage and Hokage.

The tone of the Tsuchikage's words was thought past by Sasuke. However, in his heart, he warned himself to be wary of the red-haired woman. He wonder what strength she has, but she must be far stronger than what is shown. If not, then she wouldn't dare to tease the five Kages. Especially to touch Sasuke like that, making him almost lose his grip ...

"You guys can continue the delayed meal. I'll join after making sure everything is okay," he told his four colleagues.

Gaara nodded, followed by three other Kages. Without wasting much time, Sasuke along with Neji, Sai, and the Konohamaru Team immediately rushed back to the village to carry out further inspections and monitor damaged public facilities.

While giving directions to all of them, Sasuke was approached by his former teacher.

Hatake Kakashi approached Uchiha Sasuke and nodded his head. His face covered by a mask did not seem to age at all even though he was already on his fourty.

"I have something to show you."

Without waiting for an answer from Sasuke, Kakashi took him to the ninja cemetery. The teacher's footsteps looked heavy. Sasuke held the question raging in his head as he passed several old tombs to a tomb that was very familiar to him. The tomb he always makes time to visit every day. Whether it's morning, afternoon, evening, or even night.

However, these three days, Sasuke had not had time to visit it because of personal problems as well as village problems. He had intended to come here this afternoon. So why did Kakashi feel the need to bring him here when he himself intended to come?

As if knowing Sasuke's thoughts, Kakashi shrugged his chin towards the empty land that was no longer empty.

Sasuke blinked.

There is a new tomb there; the tomb which is right next to Uzumaki Naruto, the tomb without a name, the tomb that is on the land agreed by Team of Seven that if the three of them die then they will be buried side by side in the area.

All Konoha-nin knew Naruto Uzumaki's request regarding his funeral.

Why do people still dare to ignore?

"Who?" Sasuke asked in a curtained voice, holding back the burning sensation in his chest from anger.

Kakashi's head shake made Sasuke grit his teeth. He glared at the new grave.

Kakashi glances at his student, he touches his shoulder which has stiffened.

"You won't demount it," explained Kakashi, as if he could read Sasuke's mind for the many times.

"I have the right," Sasuke replied stiffly. He still held back his anger by gritting his teeth. "He also has it. So does Sakura."

Turning to Sasuke, Kakashi asked calmly, "Do you think Naruto will let you do it?"

Without even asking, Sasuke already knew the answer. He took a deep breath, trying to arrange his emotions that were so mixed that day. Why is the day suddenly become so long like this? Now it hasn't even entered lunch hour yet, but everything that happened had made him feel like returning to his days in the past.

But, doesn't it this means that his life is more meaningful? Sasuke always felt alive in the past. Either at the time when Itachi was still alive or when Naruto was still alive. What had been the last nine years? Everything feels so vague and in no way made an impression on his head or in his soul.

So, the feeling of anger, fear, worry, and even passion - some time ago when he was dealing with that strange woman - that he felt today ... Should he feel relieved or cursed?

Taking the side that made him feel better, Sasuke also said, "Can we move it without dismantling?"

"It still unethical, Sasuke," Kakashi explained. He put his hands in his pocket. "Unless this person's family or closest people do it."

"Then they will do it."

Nodding his head, Kakashi also added, "I will find out."

That way, the two of them set foot from there, not catching the presence of a red-haired woman in a long kimono who watched them from behind a tree branch, staring at them with eyes that had been flooded with tears and with lips that repeatedly muttered the word s_orry_. ]

**_TBC_**


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto_

_a/n_

_I'm sorry for this bad translation that create any misunderstanding regarding the story. But fyi, naruto was indeed female here. Sasuke refers her as a male bcs he hasn't know her real identity, same with any other people that hasn't know naruto true identity as well. Thank you xx_

* * *

On a quiet night, The Valley of the End gets guests who make the place look brighter than usual nights. This kind of incident did not only take place tonight, but had happened since a few months before. Over the past few months, the valley that has been completed by a waterfall flanked by two large statues of the founder of Konoha has been visited by a figure in a long red and white kimono.

This figure utilizes the iconic place as a special training field, even though what is there is clearly not the field. Valley of the End is more appropriate to be called a river rather than a field. However, this fact does not make this person go away from there.

Exactly five months and ten days ago, the figure came with a body filled with wounds and also a very alarming flow of chakra. Instead of long red hair or long red-and-white kimono, she instead uses a long black shirt with an orange pattern similar to the trousers she wears.

The clothes had been torn here and there and worn by dirt mixed with blood seepage. Her red hair at that time was golden blonde. She appeared to tie her hair on both sides of her head, but when she got there, her hair ties had loosened and detached one, making her blonde hair cover some of her pale face. With stride, she entered a small cave near the statue. Her body immediately collapsed when she got there. Her consciousness disappeared and she slept for almost three full days.

After the arrival of the figure, the Valley of the End seemed to witness to every activity she carried out. From how she cleaned herself under the waterfall, collecting food in the form of fish, or even witness her pensive u der the night sky that filled with stars and moon.

Although it did not happen often, her sapphire eyes seemed to glaze over as she looked at the doomed world, as if the beauty of the universe up there brought extraordinary sadness to her. When those rare moments occur, she will immediately move from the end of the Hashirama Senju statue to practice her chakra control that seems to fade. Her figure seemed almost invisible from a distance when she flung her legs to run vertically on the statue. She did it until the sun rise, then collapsed again in a cave filled with charcoal from the hearth.

When the sun is almost shining directly overhead, she would get up and come out of the cave. Her appearance was very worn and messy before she bathes under the waterfall. Once her appearance looks more decent, she would leave the cave and return with food and new ninja equipments.

The routine runs for more than three months. The results of her training continue to increase. Her body's strength improved. She could stay awake for three whole days if she wants. However, what she achieved at that time was not able to carve a satisfied expression on her face. She frowned too often before leaving the valley-leaving a large crack on the side of it.

One day, this person returned with a different appearance after visiting an old temple in an unnamed village. Initially, she had a tail behind her waist. Her fingernails were so sharp and birthmarks like a cat's whiskers on both sides of her cheeks look thicker than usual. Her blond hair had turned red, and so had her blue eyes.

The gray kimono that she used to wear has changed to her current red and white kimomo. Compared to the polite-looking gray kimono, her clothes now were much more open with a slit along her waist to her thighs down. Her legs would be exposed easily when she moves while fighting.

One week early after the change, she always destroyed a cliff because of the power that seemed uncontrollable. An inhuman roar would come out from her throat, then she begin to fall to the ground with her sharp nails leaving claw marks on the ground. One night she would grit her teeth deeply while holding her head with pain expression. When her appearance fades, her body would get limp and she lay down with a ragged breath. Her blond hair return. Her blue eyes seemed glazed and she would sleep until dawn.

The situation improved after the first week. Her tail had disappeared and her curved fingers no longer had sharp nails. Birthmarks on both her cheeks look normal and she no longer roars in pain. The wild aura released by her seemed to be more controlled and it easier for her to changed her appearance - from the original figure to the figure of this red-haired woman. The only annoying thing was the two fox ears perched happily on her head. This strange limbs seemed to disturb her, noticed from the frown on her face whenever she felt the side effects of the abnormal ears she had, even though she seemed to adjust it later.

That appearance was used by her when she left the cave. Then when she retured, she would be in her normal appearance. The self control she had in that appearance seemed to have no problems until later when the moon entered a perfect phase. The Valley of the End seemed to witness how the woman returned to the initial stages after her change. After hours of fighting with _something _remained in her head, she would fell limp to the ground, preparing to fall asleep until dawn if only hunger did not force her to move up the hill.

Things that happened was unexpected. However, the next day, she did not return to the valley and disappeared for three whole days ...returned only tonight in very different clothes.

Instead of the gray kimono or the red-and-white kimono, she wearing white pants and a red shirt with an open abdomen. This appearance screamed housewife compared to the usual ninja clothes worn by her. Once landing under the cliff, she leaned back and sat with her eyes fixed on the waterfall that was not far from her view.

Shortly after, she breathed deeply before closing her eyes to meditate. The natural scenery in the form of a waterfall was no longer seen and now she saw a large fox who was lazing. The fox whipped up its nine tails, a smirk formed on its face. When speaking, the deep voice that he had echoed in the subconscious of that figure.

**_You can't do both at the same time, Naruto. Look at you. You look pathetic. Way more pathetic than before._**

Naruto chuckled weakly. She sat cross-legged in front of the fox.

"I'm just manage to try. You hear me, Kurama? I'm just trying what I can."

**_Role playing two different people at once? You will lose your true self._**

"Mm-hm," she muttered lazily and tilted her head. "Do you think I'm that weak?"

Kurama snorted. He pointed at Naruto using his long nails.

_**You were already weak when you fell into this world. Your disguises using the help of the fox spirit is so draining. But, now, you've decided to play around as a housewife?**_

Feeling her face heating up, Naruto groaned.

"I can't refuse my friend's request. After all this time avoiding them..." Shaking her head, Naruto took a deep breath. "You know how I feel when I saw her in that condition, Kurama. Don't remind me again."

**_You remember it all the time. Just like before, you were bound by your stupid promise to that woman. The funny thing is, you've suffered again with the burden that she dropped on you._**

"Shut up," Naruto muttered gloomily. She hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees. "I just didn't expect it to be this difficult."

Kurama snorted. He plays his tail lazily.

**_Your disguise as two people will be revealed as soon as the Uchiha boy decides to have intercourse with you. After that, you will be caught in a big problem, Naruto._**

Burying her face in both arms, Naruto groaned again in torment and embarrassment.

"Stop saying that, can you?!" She shouted in a muffled voice. When she looked up, her face was as red as the clothes she wear. "I - I won't let it, you hear me? Sasuke - he - he has never been attracted by such a thing! Sakura-chan told me that I don't need to worry because Sasuke never forced his wife!"

The fox's satisfied laughter echoed there. With a teasing tone his long nails pointed to Naruto again.

**_Normal men will never neglect their assets, Naruto. The Uchiha might not be so interested in the pink-haired woman. But, it's different from you! He unconsciously will find out and the incident could not be avoided._**

"That's it! If he knew who I was, he wouldn't do it, Kurama! I knew him very well, even though now he's much maturer than the one I've know. But, in his entire life, he was never interested in anyone! When he found out who I was, he wouldn't do it because this is me and I am his closest friend, sister. "

Lazyly, Kurama closes his eyes.

**_Whatever you say, Naruto. You seem to forget that I'm able feel someone's darkness. Sexual desire is one of them. Even Minato has it. You don't know how it was when they were I'm the process making you-_**

"I DIDN'T HEAR A THING! I DIDN'T HEAR! LA LA LA LA LA."

**_Act according to your age, brat. You're not sixteen years old anymore. You're twenty, twenty one._**

"So that mean I could calmly heard you told me how Mom and Dad having sex, huh?" Naruto exclaimed with a blush. She threw her arms in the air. "Why am I always surrounded by perverts?"

**_Because you are one of them._**

"Of course not, Old Fox! My mind is pure and innocent!"

**_Said someone who've continued her teacher's erotic novel series._**

Naruto groaned.

"Shut up! Shut up! I won't explain anymore! What I wrote isn't an erotic novel!"

Kurama laughed again. Now his laughter sounds friendly rather than teasing.

**_Let me help you if all your plans fall apart._**

Kurama's words made Naruto smile. She nodded. "I'll always could count on you."

That way, Naruto came out of her subconscious. She stood up, patted her dirty clothes, and activated the kyūbi mode. In just a few seconds, her body was covered by an orange light that shined brightly in the night sky. Naruto took off the chakra cloak she was wearing and grasped the orange chakra layer with both hands. A few moments later, the chakra cloak has turned into a whip with a reddish rope while her body is no longer covered by the chakra. Forming a hand seal, Naruto changed her appearance.

Her long blonde hair has now turned red. Two fox ears adorn her head. Minus the red-and-white kimono that she used earlier, Naruto has changed her appearance into a figure that she uses to disguise herself. The birthmark on both of her cheeks disappeared, Naruto tightened her grip on the whip she was holding, eliminating the question that had always been ruled in her head every time she was in this mode.

_Why whip?_

A moment later, her head throbbed. She also held on to the side of the cliff while biting her lips. Her consciousness faded a little when the pain disappeared, her sky blue eyes had turned red.

**_Maintain your conscious, Naruto. She's different from me. You can't see or feel its form. She isn't chakra but truly a spiritual being. She can control your biggest desires without you knowing, even when you know that desires were bad and you can't do them._**

Shaking her head and blinking, Naruto smiled. The same lopsided smile as she showed the Kages.

"Of course, Ku-ra-ma," she said in a cheerful voice before whipped her weapon which instantly made the side of the cliff collapse. Her amused laughter adorns the silence of the night. "Oh look, I'm more adept at using it. All of this training is really not vain. Now, they wouldn't have thought that this was me with my fighting style completely different from this look!"

_She's completely affected._

In there, Kurama refrained to clap his forehead. Cooperating with his ancestors was never a good thing. Why was he got persuaded by Naruto who tended to act rashly? Maybe, they really did not have another effective way to hide the chakra aura emitted by him, but by using the help of this creature together with Naruto who granted the request of the pink-haired woman ...

Kurama plays his tail in annoyance. The two conditions are so contradictory. The plan they have has more potential for failure. Kurama knows that this Fox Mode is very risky, which is why he opposes Naruto who insists on granting her friend's request. But, with the alluring aura released by her in this mode and with her interactions with the Uchiha boy ...

Long ago, Kurama knew something that Naruto didn't even notice. He knew that the bond between the two of them was in fact more than what they believed.

Today's start is already bad. Kurama watched as Naruto lightly tried to captivate the Uchiha - who was of course unconscious. While on the other hand, her attraction in this disguise is so strong. Without using this mode, the Uchiha was already influenced by Naruto. This woman is too naive, Kurama furious. How could she remain naive after all the terrible events that had befallen her?

Did the kunoichi lesson she had missed actually have this bad effect?

Then, how could Naruto not realize that she was tortured not only because of the guilt over her lies to Sasuke, but also because Sasuke saw her as someone else?

Choosing not to bother, Kurama closed his eyes and fell asleep. Being in Naruto mind feels so tiring because he could feel the same misery as her. This condition made him really appreciate this Yondaime's child. The strength of her heart is truly extraordinary. If others endured all this, they would have lost their sanity.

Because, standing back after seeing all your loved ones died right in front of your eyes is not something easy. Standing back and acting normal after seeing the person talking to her lose his life in her own embrace is not easy. Standing back and looking at them with memories of how they died was not something anyone could do.

Kurama felt her pain and he was determined that Naruto would no longer fail. Not in this new world.

**oOo**

The next day after the riots, Sasuke realized he had woken up on an office desk with a laptop that was on. Judging from the dawn that has not yet been seen, Sasuke predicts that it is now at least around three o'clock. The clock hanging near the line of photos of the previous Hokages seemed to confirm it.

The laptop screen, which still lights up, displays details of the Elemental Nations basic plan, ranging from building data located somewhere to a highway in the middle of settlements of non-shinobi residents. This new problem they had discovered was carefully thought out by Sasuke. He and the other kages would send several teams soon to check the truth of the information they got. The Hokage's work that Sasuke had endured had actually been completed since yesterday afternoon, but instead of returning home, Sasuke chose to stay here for the umpteenth time.

Getting rid of his old habits isn't easy. Not to mention the circumstances that made him want to be alone. The first reason is Sora's problem. The second reason is related to the appearance of the red-haired foreign woman. While the last reason regarding the tomb shown by Kakashi.

Speaking of that graves, Sasuke didn't really bother with that much. He trusted Kakashi to handle this. The only thing that made him spend the night here was that red-haired woman. Her presence was so disturbing. Sasuke felt annoyed not only because of the inhuman aura she emitted. He was more worried about the red hair and chain chakra she had.

The name of a long-lost clan suddenly appeared in his head. So far, Sasuke only knew one person who was still alive from the clan. The person he meant was none other than Karin who claimed to have no relatives or anyone.

So why did this person appeared? Is she also an Uzumaki?

Uzumaki...

The clan's name greatly affected Sasuke, thanks to certain blond Uzumaki.

Who is this person anyway? Why did she suddenly appeared and decided to help them? Then, most importantly, why did she only showed up now?

Why is her whereabouts unknown to anyone so far? With all the irregularities she had, she should have been famous everywhere. At least, Sasuke and the Kages found out. The fact that she who was most likely an Uzumaki-should also make her presence known to others. So why didn't anyone know about it?

Besides, what's with the fox's ears that proudly perched on hrr head?

_Why it should be fox?_

Thinking about it further only made Sasuke assume the impossible. He felt too desperate to conclude that this woman might be related to Naruto.

_Is she a distant relative?_

Another voice behind his head reminded him that if this person was a distant relative, Naruto would have been looking for her long time ago. Not to mention the fact that she seemed to be related to the fox. Kyūbi who had decided to work together with Naruto would definitely tell him soon. This first option sounds increasingly impossible.

An assumption reappeared in Sasuke's head, he frowned.

_How about ... lover?_

The voice behind his head burst out laughing. Now, Sasuke felt stupid. After all, since when did his best friend show any interest in other women besides Sakura?

Why could he even think of his friend's love life?

Feeling annoyed at his own thoughts, Sasuke leaned on the back of the chair. As he stared at the wall, he happened to see a photo of Yondaime who again reminded him of Naruto - at his loud voice as he screaming to become Hokage, at his words of insisting on saving Sasuke if he wanted to become Hokage, on a fucking letter asking Sasuke continue that stupid dream. The dream that made him sit here and think about the origin of a foreign woman that made him remember the creditor of this important position.

He shutted down the laptop when he felt his concentration had disappeared.

Sasuke hurried to return home. The problem with Sakura was resolved yesterday, maybe. But, with him returning home late, Sasuke was not too sure. He grabbed the black robe that was draped over the back of the chair, he wore it before dashed to his home.

When he got there, he immediately went to the window of the room when he saw a lamp that was not turned on. The movement did not make the slightest sound because he did not want to wake Sakura and also because of his ability to infiltrate above average.

However, instead of finding Sakura, he only found an empty bed. That fact seemed a little odd, but Sasuke immediately forgot it. He took off his robe and rushed to the bathroom as usual - only to find someone swearing in the dark.

Turning on the light, Sasuke activated the sharingan in his left eye in anticipation of an intruder. However, instead of the intruder, he actually saw Sakura holding her knee with an annoyed expression, as if her knee had just stumbled into something. She confused Sasuke with the fact that she still awake. Nevertheless, her appearance at the time made him even more frowned in surprise.

"What have you done?" Sasuke asked when he saw Sakura's limp hair and soaked clothes full of soil stains.

Sakura let go of her grip on the knee. From a short distance away, Sasuke able to see the wounds that appeared to been caused by a sudden impact. Sasuke also saw how the lesions slowly disappeared before returning to Sakura's normal white skin - as if the bruise had never been there.

"I was ... training?" said Sakura doubtfully. Her misgivings made Sasuke's suspicions even worse.

"When did you get back to training?" he asked stressing. "At nights like this? Did you leave Sarada alone?"

Her emerald eyes widened. Sakura exclaimed, "Of course not! What kind of mother do you think I am?" annoyed. A few seconds later Sakura added, "she stayed at Choji's house with her friend."

"Who?"

"Why do you -" whatever she was about to say, Sakura chose to held it. Then, unexpectedly, a pair of emerald irises sparkled mischievously, "Are you worried that she woulf spend the night with the boys?"

The corner of Sasuke's eyes twitched. "Answer my question."

Sakura laughed softly. She waved her hand.

"Only with Chocho-chan. No big deal."

A stiff nod was obtained by Sakura as soon as she answered Sasuke's question. However, when she was about to leave to the bathroom, hiser hand had been caught by Sasuke. Hr asked again, "Why did you practice?"

Sakura pondered for a few moments. After swallowing her saliva, she replied, "So that my ability won't dull? I thought you would really understand this problem." She looked at Sasuke right on his oniks bead. Shr continue, "The incident yesterday morning, I ... was little worried. So, I thought it would be better if I honed my skills again."

Sasuke nodded and released his grip on Sakura. While Sakura hurried to the bathroom, Sasuke hurried to get a towel. Shortly after, he immediately caught up with Sakura and at the same time reached out to the doorknob.

Sasuke's actions managed to make Sakura turn around so quickly. Their hands touched there, neither of them intended to let it go. Sasuke just stared at Sakura as if asking for an explanation.

Knowing Sasuke would remain silent, Sakura said, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Same here," Sasuke replied without changing his tone in the slightest.

Sakura blinked. She pushed her hand away.

"Then I'll use the guest bathroom."

With that Sakura turned away. She held back her heartbeat that was about to jump down from her chest for such a ridiculous reason. Something inside her head sounded very disturbing. She was about to walk away when Sasuke gripped her hand again. Sakura almost jumped in surprise. She turned her head lightning fast.

"Yes, Sasuke?" She asked nervously.

Sasuke was silent for a few moments. He looked at his wife for a long time. Too long.

The view of the oniks made Sakura hold her breath unconsciously. What emanated from there seemed too intense. Too intimate. Too strange for someone who is in the form of this medical ninja.

As if the strange feeling she felt wasn't bad enough, Sasuke decided to make it even worse.

"Stay here," he said in heavy voice. He pulled Sakura closer, feeling how her body stiffened. "You don't need to use the guest bathroom."

Her heartbeat was getting out of control. Sakura averted her eyes from Sasuke, hoping that he was not aware of the nervousness she was feeling.

Trying to find ideas that were reasonable enough to be used as an excuse, Sakura said, "Why?" in a tone that she hoped sounded normal and showed no panic at all.

However, once it being said, she wanted to hit her own head against the nearest wall.

_Stupid_. _Stupid_ _Naruto_!

Sasuke raised his eyebrows when he heard Sakura's question. The purpose of his statement was very clear. Sakura already understood it because she herself often said this to him. This kind of conversation has become a separate signal for both of them.

What's wrong with Sakura? Didn't she has confirmed that they were okay?

Sasuke's initiatives like this are not often. He only did it once, when his mind was very chaotic after the night of Naruto's death in his second year as Hokage. For this time, Sasuke did it because he wanted to improve his relationship with Sakura. In addition, with various problems that approached him, Sasuke wanted a release. He wanted to relieve all the problems that raged in his head. Doesn't Sakura understand?

Following his wife's game, he also said, "The faucet there is broken."

Sakura blinked.

"Oh," She said simply and glanced at the bathroom door, then at Sasuke. "Then, you ... go ahead. I - I'll wait."

Unable to endure Sakura's unusual attitude, Sasuke put a towel on his shoulder before cupped his palms to her face. Sakura widened her emerald eyes reflexively and even set foot back in surprise.

"Sasuke, I—"

"Are you still not feeling well?" His hand now lifted Sakura's hair to cover her forehead. He stroked it softly while rubbing his finger on the dry soil that stained Sakura's face. "You look pale."

Sakura, who was forced to look up to see her husband's face, said, "No, I'm fine," in a hurry. She caught the look of disbelief in oniks eye and immediately added, "Just hungry. I haven't had dinner and just went directly to practice, that is."

Feeling the closeness between them that exceeded normal limits, Sakura spoke up again before Sasuke overtook her.

"I'll fill the stomach while you use the bathroom, how about it?" offered Sakura in a very clear, hopeful tone.

The lie in her voice was able to be clearly captured by Sasuke. He could just say it and make Sakura tell him her real reason. However, knowing the bad consequences if he suppressed her reluctance, Sasuke also chose to budge. He will get rid of his needs with cold water. Yes, cold water can help it. Why did he suddenly want Sakura? The problem that came with it didn't sound so bad. What's wrong with him right now?

Moving his hand away from Sakura, Sasuke nodded stiffly. The glow of relief in her eyes made Sasuke once again overcome with questions.

He said, "Take care of your health. Don't miss dinner again before training."

Sakura nodded. The smile that made her eyes look alive adorned her lips. Sasuke was stunned for a moment, not expecting to see something like that appear on his wife's face. Sakura's smile that he had just seen was so different. Something that was there was strangely surrounded by a familiar warm feeling. Then, before he could get an answer to that question, Sakura surprised him again by giving a light kiss on his lips. Sasuke was stunned, he still hadn't gathered his mind when Sakura tiptoeed and whispered right in his ear. The lips slightly touched the sensitive area in Sasuke's ear when she said, "Thank you."

Before Sasuke had any chance to stop his wife, Sakura had disappeared from before him. The fresh scent of the forest and the wild trails her passing, leaving Sasuke with something painful down there. He cursed and immediately stepped into the bathroom.

Cold water sounds not captivating at all compared to the woman who doubles to be his wife but he can't touch. However, he really had no other choice.

When he poured water all over his body, Sasuke knew that the rest of the night would be very long.

Why is Sakura becoming more attractive than before? Why does she have the same scent as that strange woman? Is there now the latest perfume trend created specifically to tempt Uchiha Sasuke?

Slapping his fist against the wall, Sasuke cursed again. Those questions sounded ridiculous. Besides, this damn cold water feels really lacking. He had no choice but to find his own release, something he rarely did.

Determined, he would make sure that something like this won't happened again. Sakura will not torture him like this again in the future. []

_**TBC**_


	7. Chapter 7

_Dsclaimer : I do not own Naruto_

* * *

Acting spontaneously without thinking will always be Naruto's biggest weakness. Over the past few years, she might have been able to reduce these bad habits and be able to analyze things more so as not to harm her. However, for trivial matters that did not involve battle strategies, Naruto was still unable to control her spontaneity. One of them was her reflexes when she really wanted to thank Sasuke after undoing ... well, the suspicious intent he wanted from Naruto—or Sakura.

Sasuke's unexpected action had succeeded in weakening Naruto's self-defense. Her brain seemed to stop functioning for a moment and she could only stammer while thinking of the worst scenarios if Sasuke really wanted t—uhm … have sex?—with to her. In the past, for Naruto who was fourteen, she would not have understood the implied intent expressed by Sasuke.

Naruto is too insensitive for something like that. She was too ignorant to find out, especially because she had missed _seduction art_ in the kunoichi class. With the modification Henge Sandaime and Jiraiya gave her, Naruto had to adjust her life as a man rather than a woman. She only followed the shinobi class and ignored the kunoichi class. As a result, Naruto really lacked knowledge regarding sexual needs and such. This ignorance only improved when Jiraiya forced her to help with the editing process of the novel—which of course made Naruto forced to read.

At that time, she was not interested at all. However, when she was mature enough and decided to continue the work of her teacher as a mark of respect ... Naruto became more aware of something like that, even though she did not develop a special interest in it.

In addition, she also did not think too much about romance. The various problems that befell her had prevented Naruto thinking about something like that. As long as she has friends beside her, everything would be fine. This kind of mindset is what makes it different from most women her age. Naruto still doesn't understand the concept of loving. Maybe, she continued Jiraiya's novel. However, the content of the novel is far different from the Sannin. Naruto made a novel similar to Jiraiya's early novel - a book that contains a story about a hero.

So, knowing the ins and outs of romance?

Thanks to that. Naruto still didn't understand, even at the age of twenty. Even so, she is not as stupid as people think. Naruto is far from stupid. Her mindset that different from most people is what makes her look that way. Naruto really understands how family life works. She understands how someone reacts when they want someone else. She understood how a time when people's consciousness had blurred when they were overwhelmed by dark desires like sexual lust. Sharing power with Kurama made her possess such abilities.

So, when Sasuke's eyes changed, Naruto was wary. She knew what would happen if she followed Sasuke's game. She knew, what consequences would befall her if she let that happen. That's why Naruto was so eager to express her gratitude to her friend because indirectly he had helped her to maintained her disguise.

One thing Naruto wants is to be grateful.

However, she was surprised by herself when her feet moved closer and then stood on tiptoe to land a light kiss Sasuke's lips.

Lips. Not cheek.

What the hell did she think?

When she felt Sasuke's body stiffen, Naruto realized that what she was doing was not wise.

After all, since when did she express her gratitude by kissing someone right on their lips?

Actually, what 's wrong with her?

Slamming her forehead onto the dining table, Naruto refrained from telling a bunshin to punch her head right now. Was her action due to her already exhausted after hours of practice using the Fox Mode?

It must be so.

**_Are you sure _****, ****_Naruto?_**

_Fuck off, Kurama._

**_HAHAHAHA_****.**

Feeling annoyed at the fox, Naruto severed their communication unilaterally. Regretting something that has happened will not change anything. She will learn from this incident to gain more control when she is near Sasuke, because this Sasuke is somehow different. Naruto guessed that the differences were due to age differences. A figure who is more mature than Sasuke, who is known by Naruto, makes things troublesome. Naruto never thought that someone who seemed asexual like him ... would have that such desire. Wasn't he more interested in fighting?

Sensing questions that were just spinning around without meaningful answers, Naruto moved and picked up a glass of instant ramen, brewed it, and ate it in silence. Her mind was disheveled with everything, but she shook her head immediately, as if dismissing all those thoughts away. One thing that needs to be done is focus. She will focus on achieving her goal while granting Sakura's request. Although her wish isn't forever, she will try as much as possible. At the very least, she would make Sakura leave a message and say goodbye to Sarada before she actually left.

Naruto's presence here is only temporary. She had planned everything with Kurama ... even though the consequences were great, even though at the end she would be alone, Naruto was determined.

Her reverie broke when she saw Sasuke had come out of the bathroom. He was shirtless with a towel wrapped around his waist. His long black hair that was wet was still dripping slightly when he tried to dry it with another towel. The droplets flow from his neck to his chest which shows porcelain white skin.

Naruto found herself observing an athletic body that showed years of physical exercise. Regarding how his muscles look so right and not too bulky—how his stomach looks perfectly sculpted, how his biceps contracted when he is drying his hair, how his tall figure makes him look more attractive so he would be able to attract the attention of women-

A moment later, Naruto blinked.

Did she just check on Sasuke's appearance?

_The hell_, she thought to herself.

She had seen him many times without clothes, why is this now a problem for her?

Diverting her gaze from Sasuke's figure, Naruto saw him raised hi eyebrow – Realizing Naruto that Sasuke was aware of what Naruto did.

She cursed inwardly. Her face felt burned.

Before Sasuke asked or said something that could make Naruto bury herself alive, Naruto had already dashed into the bathroom. Once there, Naruto immediately took off her henge before stripping all of her clothes.

She filled the bathtub with water, mixed it with the bubble bath available there, and finally soaked while cleaning herself slowly. Long golden hair floating on the surface of the water, Naruto washed it softly. She then drowned herself in the water, trying to dispel the question of why she suddenly saw Sasuke in a different way.

With all the complexity of the problem, why should something disturbing like this have to happen?

Naruto's approval for Sakura's request was due to her being convinced of the bond she had with Sasuke. The Uchiha was her friend, although in this condition Naruto was not sure she could still call him a friend, but she knew the limits that were owned by her and Sasuke. Since the first matter, she considers the Uchiha as friends and even brother. She had never seen him on the other way, unlike how Sakura saw Sasuke.

With Naruto's confidence in the bond she has, she fulfills Sakura's request. During the twenty years of her life, Naruto knew how much her girl friend felt towards the Uchiha. Naruto knows very well. In fact, after the first great war, she often teased both of them even though Sasuke was not interested at all. Blocking Sakura's wish to be with Sasuke never once crossed her head.

_Heck_.

She wasn't even interested in Sasuke in that way!

What Naruto wants is friends, family. For this reason she chose to appear as a man who made it easier to find friends. With that appearance, Naruto didn't need to worry about being hated because of her tomboyish attitude. She could freely made friends with anyone. In addition, hanging out with boys was much easier than girls. At that time, Naruto tended to understand more about the topic of conversation of boys than of girls.

This habit has created a strong bond of friendship between her and the Uchiha. Sakura trusted Naruto for this fact. Naruto herself also believes it. She believed that she would not interfere in Sakura's feelings for Sasuke and would leave them together. Naruto knew her limits.

So why is she suddenly reacting strangely like this? Why did she feel increasingly guilty towards Sakura when she was sure ... she was sure that Sasuke was just a friend to her? A brother.

Trapped by her own reverie, Naruto almost forgot that she was still under water. She immediately surfaced and coughed. Her nose that had been watery was sore. Naruto rubbed it several times before leaning forward. She closed her eyes.

_Why is Sakura-chan asking me this?_

_Doesn't all this make me like ... like a criminal? By lying to everyone ... by taking the life she had dreamed of for a long time..._

Naruto's sighs sounded heavy. She remembered what happened that night and how Sakura made her unable to refuse. Naruto would never be able to refuse a request for help that sounds so desperate. When she decided to help her, Naruto had seen the consequences she would get. She herself was convinced that the consequences would be borne well.

But, why does she still feel sorry for Sakura?

Sensing the water had begun to cool, Naruto realized how long she had been here. Moving on from there, Naruto rinsed herself and dried her body. She grabbed the white bathrobe that was there and wore it before leaving. Before coming out, she made a hand seal that made her resemble Sakura. Although her mind still wrinkling, Naruto felt how her body was fresher and lighter after bathing. She might prefer a waterfall, but a bathtub with warm water also not a bad substitute.

When she got in her room, she found an empty room. Sasuke wasn't there . These conditions make Naruto breathe a little relieved. This way she could wear clothes without worry.

_Why should I worry?_

Shaking her head in annoyance at herself, Naruto grabbed Sakura's clothes. She combed her hair briefly before leaving the room to rush to the front of Sasuke's office. The room's lights appeared to be on. Naruto looked uncertainly at the door. A few moments later, she turned and headed for the kitchen. She made two cups of tea. One is original tea while the other is black tea. The jerk she knows always likes something dark, one of which is this type of tea. Naruto hope, _this _Sasuke also has the same taste .

Once in front of the room again, Naruto returned pensive. She glared at the door.

Hell. If she didn't have to talk about Sora's problems with him, she preferred to curl up lazily in bed. When practicing in the Valley of the End, Naruto did sleep well. But, the name of the bed is still better than the rough ground.

Swallowing her annoyance deeply, Naruto also held the tray in her right hand while her left hand knocked on the door. As Sakura, she must try to understand Sasuke and behave like a good wife. Breaking into his office without giving him a warm drink on a cold morning is clearly not the attitude of a good wife, but the attitude of Uzumaki Naruto.

Now this is Sakura.

_Sakura_.

"Just come in, Sakura," Sasuke said in there.

See? Naruto could actually enter right away.

Turningthe doorknob, Naruto went into a room full of documents.

_Woah_.

Who would have thought she used to be in that position?

Her figure from this world must be very intelligent by giving all these responsibilities to Sasuke.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked without taking his eyes off the scroll he was reading.

Naruto narrowed her eyebrows, feeling disliked. She placed the tray between the documents before pulling a chair right in front of Sasuke's desk, resisting the urge to lift her legs onto the chair and sit cross-legged there. Sakura always hits Naruto's head when she does that. So, looking safe, Naruto decided not to do it now.

Instead of crossing her legs, Naruto leaned her back and crossed her legs. One hand supports her cheek with lazy gesture.

"Your hair color would be like Kakashi-sensei's if you keep struggling with all that papers," Naruto said, trying to attract Sasuke's attention.

He looked up.

_Gotcha _.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Sasuke asked back, looking at Naruto with an unreadable expression.

According to Kurama, Naruto's behavior from yesterday was too different from Sakura. Naruto denied by saying that Kurama did not know how Sakura behaved. However, the fox casually said that any women besides Naruto would be gentler. What Naruto showed when she became Sakura looked too Naruto—aka rude and filled with sarcasm, especially when she was conversing with Sasuke. So, when chatting with Sasuke again, Naruto needed to think about what she had to say.

_How does Sakura-chan respond to this?_

_I made mistake earlier. Damn._

"I'm not sleepy," Naruto answered honestly. At least she did not answer with annoying sentences. "I fell asleep in the training field earlier," she continued, this time not completely honest. She then looked closely at Sasuke, seeing how his eyes indicated that he was lacking sleep. If left longer, he will end up like Gaara.

Advising others when they do the same thing is hypocrisy. Naruto chose not to comment or tell Sasuke for this and that. He knows what he's doing.

"I made tea," Naruto explained. She handed the cup of black tea to Sasuke. "If Godaime had calmed herself down with sake, then I guess tea can help you lighten a little ... burden?" she added with some hesitation. When Sasuke didn't reply, she said again, "Or do you want me to bring sake? I didn't think that was good idea because I thought you didn't like losing consciousness and lowering your defenses."

Putting down the scroll he was reading, Sasuke pulled the cup of tea closer. He inhaled the aroma of the drink, took a slow sip, and placed it back on the table. Naruto smiled faintly . She did the same thing. The reason Sasuke didn't like sake was not only because he would lose his consciousness or his self control, but because the _hung over _that would make him almost unable to move all day. Naruto had seen it for herself when they were together together after drinking all night. Both were fought over the bathroom to throw up in the morning.

Kurama can neutralize the effects of liquor. But, Kurama is an old fox that sometimes very annoying. He did not want to help Naruto for trivial matters.

When she looked back at Sasuke, Naruto saw a questioning look at the man's onix. However, as soon as the highlight came, it was disappeared immediately. She blinked. Is there something wrong with her behavior ... again? Naruto's talkative attitude is actually not too different from Sakura in her normal mode—that was when Sakura with Naruto. So, she assumed that this behavior would not arouse great suspicion for Sasuke.

"Thank you," the man muttered. He massaged his temple gently while closing his eyes. "This pile of documents wouldn't finished by itself."

_Wow. Still sarcastic as usual. Of course._

_But, not as stiff as yesterday, huh?_

Naruto laughed lowly. She supported one cheek with one hand before sighed and frowned.

"You know, I don't want to discuss heavy topics, but since you are the Hokage, I have to discuss it with you," she began. Sasuke looks more alert this time.

"Regarding your mission report?" Sasuke asked . He looked Naruto straightly. "You haven't made any verbal report yet."

"Exactly," Naruto replied lightly. She held a grin. The reason is easy. Sakura didn't grin like that. "That's why I, well, interfered with your work hours? I thought it won't be bother if we talk about report."

"You can do it later at the office."

Naruto shook her head.

"What's the point of living in the same house with Hokage then?" she asked playfully. She then shrugged her shoulders. "Your workspace is another office . So it shouldn't be a problem."

Sasuke put his eyebrows together, looking contemplated. She then leaned her back and waved her hand. "Say it."

Correcting her sitting position to be more serious, Naruto also remembered the information she knew. Whether it's from her own knowledge or from Sakura. The thought of those people made her blood boil, but Naruto couldn't show her anger now. She tried to calm down and called on herself to be professional.

"I disguised myself as one of their members, just as you pointed out. While being a member, I got some of this information. First, they collaborated with Sora in carrying out the experiment. The experimental material in question was children. They kidnapped them and brought the children to their secret base.

"The results of the experiment will determine their fate. If successful, the child will be recruited by Sora. However, if it fails, they die. For those who aren't too infected would be brainwashed and returned home. For those who only get a small infection, would be given a sharingan—" Sasuke's eyes sharpened when he heard this, but Naruto continued. "—to trap people in their neighborhoods in genjutsu. Their aim is to extort money in order to fund their research. Whereas for those who get more severe infections, they would be turned into ... bombs. They blow themselves up after arriving in their neighborhood.

Then, secondly, regarding the contents of the poison experiments they developed. The use of poisons in certain doses can kill. However, in other doses it will only strengthen. This is what they are looking for, the right amount of dosage to create perfect Sora members. Then thirdly, about the syndicate laboratory members. They didn't seem normal but—" the memory of that night flooded Naruto's head. She felt her throat tighten. She breathed deeply."—crazy. They look crazy. Much worse than Orochimaru, "Naruto continued. She looked at Sasuke with blank eyes." Done. "

Sasuke was silent.

While Naruto, she was trying to neutralize her feelings. Remembering what happened that night was too painful. Seeing Sakura's the last condition was too painful. Considering everything Sakura said was … too heavy.

All that blood. All those tears. All those sad smiles. All those soft laughs and insults.

" _I knew you're alive, Naruto. I knew you exist."_

Laughter and tears.

"_Always be a hero, huh? You haven't changed at all. Why don't you return to Konoha right away?"_

An annoyed tone in her voice. Then, blood flowed down her chin when she coughed.

" _Is that so? I don't care. You'll always be you. No matter where you come from. Are you here to sacrifice yourself again? Trying to leave us all for peace while you are dying? Do you think we could be happy without all your antics?"_

Tears from cries still continued to tear. Then, the thick blood again. Red under the moon. Red in her hand. Red. Like that time. In her embrace.

"Your _sacrifice is so meaningful, Naruto. I am grateful. So much. But, I hate you, y'know? I hate you because you're so difficult to give up. I hate you because without you, I'm not happy. Sasuke-kun is suffering so much—for two whole years. Kakashi-sensei also has gone awry."_

Then, the faltering noise. Weakened hand grip. Bitter laughter.

" _Yes, we are continuing our lives. But, everything is no longer the same. Sorry for scolding you for what you didn't do. But, you'll always be you, I have said it. So, please, here ... don't do such foolish things again. Forget your self-sacrifice, return to Konoha and make me a shield so that your identity won't be revealed. Be me, be my successor, Naruto, you are the one who should be in my position. You are free to behave anything using my name. But, please, take care of Sarada and Sasuke-kun. Make them happy because only you can do it. A month, just a month, please. Thank you for the opportunity you have given me to build the family I want."_

After that, tears. This time it came from her own eyes. Not Sakura.

That night, Uzumaki Naruto lost again. She lost to many times with hands that were both covered in blood. It was the smile on her face that made her rise. That request made her here. Disguising Sakura's mission report in front of her husband.

Her eyes suddenly hot. Very hot.

Naruto cursed inwardly. She could not look at Sasuke now. She can't.

_Why does it hurt?_

"Sakura-"

"Is there something you want to ask?" interrupted Naruto, her voice hoarse. She swallowed her saliva and tried to laugh. "Listen, my report must be unclear, _Ne_? Just ask me. I 'll try to answer it. Maybe about the number of people? The cause of their madness? Or about the syndicate's motives? I don't know much or the details, but I know the outline enough. They were cruel and dirty, I could saw it, but their madness wasn't normal, madness is never normal, right? But they were more than that, they enjoy blood, pain, screaming, they were happy and satisfied with what they called art. They weren't normal people and even enjoy the pain. Their laughter—their freaking sickening laughter—were nastier than Madara. Madara was a great shinobi, y'know? But they aren't even shinobi. They are only- "

"Sakura-"

"-only a group of bloodthirsty people who want the death of their victims inhumanely, sadistically, horribly. They played with the corpse and don't even want the victim's body to be buried in their entirety. They laughed when they cut their wounds. They- "

Sasuke no longer sat in his chair. He was no longer behind a desk full of documents. He was no longer silent and only watched as the figure she saw as Sakura trembled with pain for reasons that were not even known to Sasuke. The ravings of this woman, this woman, a figure whose status is his wife—is too painful to be heard. Not because of the contents of her words. However, more to how she said those sentences. How her eyes radiate bitterness. How one of her hand clenched tightly, holding back the overflow of emotions that seemed to be hold back for so long.

Seeing Sakura like that ... too foreign to Sasuke. He seemed not to know Sakura. Sakura in front of him looks like someone else. The poignant look in her emerald eyes reminded her of someone, someone who had stood with him on the battlefield, someone who had almost lost hope just when Jinchūriki Jūbi raised the God Tree for the first time and killed hundreds of shinobi he had painstakingly protected.

The look in her eyes sends the same pain. Sasuke could not say anything. Just like before. He could not stand still because his body seemed to move on its own, like when he was protecting someone he had failed to protect.

Sasuke never reacted like this to anyone other than Uzumaki Naruto. Such fact creates a huge irregularity in him. The irregularity includes the behavior of his wife who feels strange lately. But even so, he didn't think about it now. All he had to do was stop the panic in those eyes. Stop the poignant and hopeless that lodged there.

Suddenly get pulled by Sasuke, Naruto felt another spark of emotion crawling through her. She seemed to be aware of her position, of what she was doing now.

She tried to release Sasuke's hold on her wrist. They stood a few steps from the doorway.

"I—we're not done yet," Naruto said in a voice that still sounded hoarse. Her head was pounding. "Sorry for my obscurity earlier. Y'know, the poison effect-"

"You're done. I've heard your report clearly," Sasuke said stiffly. He continue to grab Naruto's arm. "Now, you will go back to your room and sleep."

Naruto widened her eyes, she shook her head.

"No. I still have a lot to say. There's still a lot you need to know-"

"What happened to you?"

Her mouth felt dry. Sasuke's hands held her shoulders. He stared straight at Naruto, trying to find an answer from the sapphire eyes camouflaged by the emerald eyes. Sasuke's jaw line looks stiffer than usual. He seemed displeased with Naruto's behavior, as if Naruto's actions were disturbing him.

"Nothing. I'm fine, you see?"

His lips formed a straight line. Sasuke sharpened his eyes. "I didn't see it," he said coldly. "Tell me. What happened?"

_Which one?_

_About Sakura-chan's death? The destruction of Konoha and four other villages? Your death?_

Naruto took a deep breath.

"I said it at the hospital. They found out about my disguise and I ran away. On the way, they attacked me and injected poison when I let my guard down. That's all."

"Tell me the truth."

"I already said it! What do you want to hear if in fact I had—"

Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulders, making the woman close her mouth immediately.

"There is no poison. I knew," he said without leaving a glance from Naruto. Meanwhile, the sentence made Naruto avert her eyes, feeling defeated. Sasuke sighed softly when he saw it. He relaxed her grip on Naruto's shoulder before pulled her chin so that she could look back at his onix eye. "You're not fine. Stop acting like nothing's wrong."

_Stop acting like nothing's wrong._

_Stop acting like nothing's wrong._

_Stop acting like nothing's wrong._

_Stop acting like nothing's wrong._

_Stop acting like nothing's-_

Her throat was tighting. Looking at Sasuke's eyes this close—with such question—made her heart break. Why should he look at her with such worries? Why did he have to look at her the same way as when he was lying in her lap with his body drenched with blood?—as if his condition was nothing compared to Naruto's.

Getting the same look again hurts so much.

"You're right," Naruto said, her voice still hoarse. She grabbed Sasuke's arm which had been on her shoulder. "I need to sleep."

That way, Naruto left.

And only to be turned back when Sasuke decided their conversation wasn't over. He pulled Naruto's arm back, this time he didn't hold her shoulder or make her look at him closely.

Instead of talking back to ask for an answer to the original question, Sasuke turned Naruto who had turned her back on him. He maneuvered in such a way that Naruto faced right in front of him. Before the woman processed what had happened, he had placed him hand behind the back of Uzumaki's neck—the Uzumaki who still looked like his wife. He pressed Naruto's neck before tilting his head to kiss her lips.

These actions make Naruto frozen. She was so surprised that she could not anticipate the moment when Sasuke kissed her lips roughly, bited her, sipped her, and even stroked her using his tongue - indirectly demanding Naruto to kiss back and allow him to slip his tongue into her mouth.

Awareness pervades Naruto. She feels everything … how Sasuke's lips merged with her. How Sasuke bit her lower lip. How he sucked the corner of her lips and asked her to return his kiss. Naruto was very aware. She was aware of the mint she felt by Sasuke, of his nose pressing against her face, the roar of their colliding breaths.

She feels it. All. Everything. The whole kiss succeeded in making Naruto weak. She still hadn't returned the kiss, but Sasuke continued to corner her. He had embraced Naruto with a hand wrapped around her waist. Naruto tries to break away and using her common sense that all of this is wrong - that all of this has great potential to ruin all the plans she has.

Failure is not an option.

Naruto knew and was very aware of her condition.

However, just like when she kissed Sasuke suddenly, Naruto also seemed to lose control of herself for now.

Sasuke's kiss was so demanding. Naruto could not ignore it. She did not know how long she had been trying to resist, but when she felt her arms around his neck, Naruto had responded and followed Sasuke's game. She responded carelessly to this clash, forgetting the fact that this was her first real kiss—like an actuall kiss, not an incident one.

With zero experience, Naruto tried to keep up with Sasuke, who of course had better understanding of this kind of thing than the woman in his arms. Whatever the difference Sasuke felt in his wife, he seemed fine, as if Naruto's sloppy kiss was not suspicious. He did it and even deepened it when Naruto opened her mouth after he bit her lower lip. As soon as his tongue infiltrated the woman's mouth and began to explore it, he heard Naruto who was jerked back as if surprised by the action.

Their kisses, which were obviously not covered in tenderness, seemed wilder when Sasuke pushed her until her back collided with a wall near the door. Naruto groaned when their bodies roughly touched. Sasuke's chest pressed against her body, as did their waist. Still not releasing her lips, Sasuke slipped his hand around Naruto's waist into the home shirt she wore. He stroked her back, all the way to the front—where her stomach was.

Meanwhile, the hand that had been on Naruto's nape had now moved to cup one of Naruto's cheeks. He only let go of the kiss when both of their breaths faltered. Naruto herself going limp to the point where she still able to stand using support from Sasuke and the wall behind her. Her breath was heavy and she was trembling because of strange feeling that she never felt. Her chest fluctuates due to unstable breathing.

Both of their noses touched while their lips were only inches away. Naruto squeezed the clothes Sasuke was wearing when his unfocus eyes stared straight into her eyes, showing something very obvious.

Naruto almost forgot the way to breathe when she realized the meaning of that look or when she saw Sasuke longer and watched every detail of his face at this close distance - about how his lips were reddened by their kisses, how his firm facial lines made him look much more attractive, how his poselin skin turned red from the heat of their bodies, how those black eye looked at her with the way that she had never gotten before ...

Unknowingly, Naruto stretched her hand to reveal Sasuke's long hair that covered part of his face. She watched the form frankly, wondering why she had missed such a beautiful view from the beginning while questioning what the women - who were crazy about Sasuke - had actually seen in this man. Now, when her eyes opened, Naruto finally understood.

Sasuke's appeal is so huge. It was difficult to ignore.

Especially with the appearance and ability to make out like that.

As if hypnotized by the pheromones surrounding Sasuke, Naruto pulled her face closer and slammed her lips against the man's lips. As soon as their lips reunited, Sasuke immediately kiss her deeply. He pressed his palms on the back of her neck to deepen their kisses. He fondled, bited, and also sipped her lips before moving to Naruto's jaw line. The hand that was on her neck has now crept into her hair, pulling it down while brushing her lips along the jaw line and neck .While his lips gave kissing there, his other hand had crept into Naruto's chest, slowly squeezing her breast.

When Sasuke suck her neck while squeezing her breast, Naruto groaned. She tightened her grip on the Uchiha's shoulder when a strange tingling returned to her. Naruto's reaction that was very reactive have increased Sasuke's desire.

Leaving Naruto's hair and slipping both hands under her shirt, Sasuke unhooked her bra. Within a split second, two breasts are freed. Sasuke grabbed one of them with one hand. He cupped and squeezed it again while his lips found Naruto's lips again.

In between their kissing, Naruto groaned, feeling her body getting hotter with a foreign tingling that was getting stronger. Sasuke softly bit her lower lip before returning to Naruto's neck with one hand playing with her breast. He squeezed and twisted it peak which reflexively tensed in his cup.

Naruto arched her back. Her breathing faltered.

Awareness seems to rain. This foreign feeling is very difficult to overcome. Too much. Naruto felt too much in the first place. If everything is left for longer ...

"Sas'ke..." Naruto groaned. That feeling seemed to eat her. Sasuke just muttered between Naruto's neck bones while his other hand was still playing with her breast that had not been touched yet. Naruto gritted her teeth as Sasuke's other hand moved down to cup her ass. He squeezed it and at the same time as twisted and pinched the top of the Uzumaki's chest with two fingers. The tingle strengthened. With her lips closed, she tried hard not to speak out what was crying in her head right now.

_Jerk_!

Instead of shouting like that, she just moaned, murmuring Sasuke's name while feeling that strange experience.

Sasuke pressed himself to Naruto, making her feel something hard pressing against her lower abdomen.

Her face heats up when she learns what it is. She was about to look away if Sasuke hadn't cupped it with one hand. Black eye that no longer looked clear were staring straight at her. Naruto felt her cheeks burning, she was definitely redder than Sasuke's face right now.

In a deep voice, Sasuke said, "Don't hide anything from me."

Stubborn, Naruto remained evasive.

"I'm not hiding anything," she said in her own voice that sounded out of focus.

Bringing his face close to the side of Naruto's ear, Sasuke gently bit her ear lobe. Naruto tightened her grip on Sasuke while holding a low moan to keep it from coming out of her mouth.

_How ... stop it?_

_How-_

_SHIT._

"Tell me," Sasuke said quietly while playing with sensitive areas in Naruto's ears. "What did they do to you?"

Holding Sasuke's hand behind her so as not to move any further, Naruto let her forehead rest on Sasuke's chest, she breathed in the mint scent mixed with the intoxicating scent that only Sasuke had. Naruto felt her head throbbing and her vision kind of blurred.

"Just ordinary torture," Naruto said dryly, forcing her mouth to speak while her brain twisted the idea to overcoming this chaos. "I have treated myself, as you see, there are no scars or other serious effects."

Sasuke's breath tickled her ears. Naruto closed her eyes, trying to focus on hearing Sasuke's words properly without thinking about anything else related to the man's erection in her stomach and what she could do about it.

Naruto cursed inwardly.

How could she think of such things? How could she ever think to-

"You don't look okay," murmured Sasuke lazily. His voice still sounded heavy, as if he was also struggling to keep his focus intact without returning to their initial activities.

With a variety of irregularities that he felt, the woman who was in his embrace was so intoxicating. Her scent. Her reaction. Sasuke feels crazy. He almost forgot his original purpose of why he kissed his wife - something he rarely did, even when they had intercourse - once her scent invaded his sense of smell, how her moans and groans floated low in his sense of hearing, how her body became more reactive than usual - as if Sasuke had never landed a hand on that part before.

"What else were they did?" He asked as he crawled back to Naruto's jaw line, descending to her neck. He take a deep breath, feeling the intoxicating aroma—and felt something throbbing with pain down there. Sasuke cursed inwardly, wondering why his body could be affected by Sakura in this way, even when she had not touched him back at all. Something about her change, Sasuke could not explain. He did not know how could he really wanted this woman, someone he would not touch if that person did not start. What made him like this?

Naruto's breath falter when she felt Sasuke's waist pressing against her body and his lips were showering a light kiss on her neck, moving downward. From her neck bone and it still hasn't stopped. One hand pulls Naruto's clothes up, exposing her flat abdomen - and will expose her entire upper body if she doesn't try to stop.

Naruto certainly stopped. She grabbed Sasuke's wrist and squeezed it gently before moving it to her shoulder - a safer place. She also pulled the man's black hair, telling him to stop. Sasuke felt it. He stopped doing what he was doing and look back at Naruto, seeing how her foggy green eyes seemed to be lit up by a bit of determination - a determination not to get carried away and lose self-control.

"Hurting others. They hurt others right in front of me while I can't do anything ," Naruto said hoarsely. "I saw her die slowly."

With her hands cupped on Naruto's face, Sasuke's eyes softened, something he rarely showed. In the next second, he had landed his lips again on her lips. This time, the kiss was more careful, more subtle, soothing, as ifshe wanted to tell the figure in front of him that there was nothing to worry about. That incident had passed and now everything was fine.

Since earlier, Naruto always closed her eyes when their lips were touched. However, this time, she opened it, she immediately felt a variety of direct emotion. One of them is how she is able to capture the affection his eyes, the deary look, the glint that Naruto saw when her mother told her how she could marry her father.

Naruto's throat tighten. She seemed to have just been electrified which of course immediately made her realize.

"Their death is not your fault, Sakura," Sasuke murmured between their kisses. "You don't need to feel responsible for her death at all."

... _not your fault, Sakura._

_Sakura_

_Sakura_

_Sakura_

_Sakura_

_Dammit._

_Sasuke looked at Sakura. Not me. There is no Naruto here._

_What did I do, huh?_

Forcing herself to release from the black haired man in front of her, Naruto tried to stabilize her heavy breath while ignoring the stinging pain in her chest after she heard Sakura's name being called. Whatever she feels right now, she hopes it will end soon.

She really is stupid. Very stupid.

How could she just lower her defenses?

"Thank you," Naruto said dryly. She still felt a strange sensation in her body, but now was not the time to worry about that. "I feel better now."

_I hope._

The fog in Sasuke's eyes had not completely vanished. He brushed his fingers on Naruto's lips which were still wet and swollen from their kisses.

"Good," he murmured lowly and tightened his arms around her waist. "Then we can do something else."

_Something else._

_Something else._

_My ass. Bastard._

_You won't ruin my plan._

Diverting Sasuke's hand from her face, Naruto tried to put on her sweetest—fake smile.

"I don't think you can," Naruto said innocently. She saw how Sasuke's eyes were slowly sharpening, demanding further clarification. "I'm on my period."

The corner of his eye seemed to twitch.

Naruto restrained a crooked smile.

_Eat that shit, jerk._

_That's for attacking me with your damn mouth and frickin' hands._

Giving some distance between himself and Naruto, Sasuke observed Naruto who just fixing her clothes lightly - as if her statement just now wasn't a big problem for the figure in front of her.

Sasuke cursed inwardly. The messy looks of his wife was so alluring. How could she—

His erection throbbing.

_Damn._

"You didn't tell me that," Sasuke said dryly. He looked at Naruto in exasperation, a gaze that could only have been caused by Naruto, not Sakura. However, the man seemed oblivious. He was very upset to realize something that had become his habit.

Lightly, Naruto shrugged her shoulders. "'Cuase you didn't bother to ask me," she said nonchalantly. The next instant she tilted her head while pointing at Sasuke with her index finger. "Besides, I already - well - gave you a clue? When I was going to take a shower just now. You didn't think at all, did you?"

Sasuke's jaw hardened. He looked at Naruto for a moment before leaving there, about to go down to the ground floor when Naruto called him. His head turned impatiently.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked innocently.

Sasuke seemed to want to kill someone there and right then.

"Bath."

Naruto blinked. She then held a smile. A smile of victory.

"Okay, then. Meet me at the dining table when you're done. I still haven't told you everything."

Sasuke just nodded briefly before getting out of there. Naruto watched in silence, remembering the small sting inside her when she realized that at the moment Sasuke saw her as Sakura, his beloved wife. Not Naruto. There is no Naruto.

In the next instant, she returned to Sasuke's office, leaned her back against the wall and sank down. Apparently as Sakura appearence faded, short hair extends to touch the floor. The pink turns into golden blonde. Her white skin became bright brown. The cheeks that originally looked smooth are now adorned with three birthmarks like a cat's whiskers on the right and left side. Sakura's clothes seemed to be tighter on the chest with shorts that were several inches taller. Naruto rubbed her face with both hands, she ruffled her hair slowly.

Her memory flew to what had just happened. What Sasuke did to her. What did the two of them done and how did Naruto react to all of Sasuke's touch on her body.

She even achieved release only with a kiss and the touch of her hand on several parts of the body.

That experience was a first for Naruto and she could not deny that the felt was amazing.

What was described in Icha-Icha wasn't just mere gibberish.

Naruto rubbed her face back roughly.

_Damn _, she exclaimed inwardly.

It would be very unlikely to forget all this just when almost all the senses that she has was conscious and feel every touch that Sasuke gave her.

_How could he be that good? _she thought irritably. _Is there something he's not good at?_

Closing her eyes, Naruto suddenly heard Kurama's mocking voice.

**_That was almost, Naruto. I really did not expect it._**

Intrigued by Kurama's taunts, Naruto exclaimed in her head, "_Shut up, Old Fox. This will never happen again."_

Kurama snorted with mock laughter.

**_You're weak in his hands, Naruto. All your energy seems to evaporate out of nowhere once he-_**

" _I can still kick his butt if I want to, Kurama! But that action will only make him suspicious_," Naruto dodged, feeling only half sure of her own words. "_We need to take care of Sora right away and find out the mastermind behind them. I'm sure all of this is the work of that jerk aliens."_

**_Are you sure you can handle them alone?_**

"_I'm with you, do you remember? Besides, my body has recovered and no longer lacks of chakra."_

Kurama wagged his nine tails lazily. He closed his eyes with a crooked smile.

**_Be careful if the Uchiha knows who you are, Naruto. You will be eaten alive._**

"_Keep your mouth shut if you don't want to be sealed anymore, Kurama!"_

The fox just laughed in response to his container's scolding. He stopped talking when Naruto opened her eyes and looked at the pile of documents that adorned Sasuke's desk. Seeing him normaly after everything that happened going to be a little difficult. Bad memories about Sasuke might still be firmly in her head, but these memories are just as strong as those bad memories. She could just erase it away.

Cursing under her breath, Naruto stood up. Her long golden hair that was unraveled fell to her thigh. Wrap it skillfully, she resumed with hand seals before exiting the room. There are several things she must do. The second is cooking. While the first is ... changing her underwear.

Yes.

Sasuke really is that jerk. []

_**TBC**_


End file.
